The Pact
by happy45
Summary: Dylan and Kelly had been the best of friends since they were 5 years old. They always had a connection and a bond that no one really understood - at times they didn't even understand it themselves. When the Walshes arrive in Beverly Hills, Dylan and Kelly begin to learn a lot about themselves, including how to love the only person they could ever truly rely on - each other.
1. Peach Pie and Paradise Cove

_Hi everyone! So, I wanted to give this story a test run... if people aren't interested then I'll not continue, but I thought it was worth a shot! I don't think there are enough stories about Kelly and Dylan on here- no matter how you feel about them, they were a fiery, passionate couple that deserve the recognition. I'm not sure I've seen chemistry like it since!_

_Anyway, this is a different take on their story. I wanted to build more of a background to them based on the fact that they'd grown up together. Basically, Dylan and Kelly have been the best of friends since they were little and their love story stems from that. _

_If Dylan and Kelly aren't your thing, there's no need to read it or be negative in the comments- this is just something for those that are to enjoy! _

_Let me know what you think in the reviews!_

* * *

Chapter One- Peach Pie and Paradise Cove

The Peach Pit- an underrated gem in Beverly Hills. The restaurant without a doubt did the best burgers in the city and their peach pie? Out of this world. Although the food was great, the thing that Dylan McKay loved the most about The Pit was how it made him feel. For just being a simple diner, he always felt comfortable, secure and happy there. There were very few places—and very few people—who could ever make him feel this way.

Dylan knew all too well what it was like to be let down and disappointed by the people you were supposed to be able to count on. He'd practically raised himself since his mother took off when he was 6 and his father became more interested in his financial investments than he was in his son. His bad experience with people was why he was reluctant to give Brandon Walsh the time of day when he approached him in the quad at West Bev a few weeks earlier. What could the new kid from Minnesota do for him? He didn't doubt for one second that when he saw the ugly side of him, Brandon would bolt.

Yet, here they were, two weeks later, eating some of Nat's famous peach pie one Tuesday night. Despite a brief blip that involved some pretend breaking and entering and a girl almost drowning at the beach, Brandon saw straight through Dylan's bad boy façade. Or, Dylan let Brandon see through his bad boy façade. He wasn't quite sure why he let the kid in, but he did. Brandon saw a lonely kid with a good heart. He saw someone worth knowing.

There was only one other person in Dylan's life that saw the good in him. Whenever he thought of her, a smile rose to his face. She was a brightness in his life and they had a friendship that no one really understood. At times, they didn't even understand it themselves, but they didn't want to question it. Not when they were a refuge for one another in their darkest of days.

After securing Brandon a job at The Pit, they continued to eat their pie at the counter. It wasn't long before the bell on the door rang and Dylan felt a delicate hand on his shoulder and a soft voice in his ear.

"Dylan McKay, you better not be eating and enjoying Nat's peach pie with someone other than me." she teased.

Dylan smirked lightly before turning to look at her; "Eating? Yes. But who said anything about enjoying?"

"Good answer. See you later boys." she said with a soft smile before disappearing into the bathroom with Donna.

Brandon eyed Dylan curiously. He didn't know much about this girl who caused Dylan McKay to actually smile. Brenda had befriended her and he'd also heard stories. Some not so flattering stories. Rumour had it this girl had dated—well, probably more than just dated— every cute guy in West Bev. She also had no problem flashing her credit cards on Rodeo Drive and couldn't walk past a mirror without looking in it.

But all Brandon could think about right now was how different she was from Dylan. Cool, calm, broody Dylan McKay. Dylan McKay who went for girls away from his life at West Bev, Dylan McKay who hid his wealth from the world and who wouldn't be caught dead on Rodeo Drive.

Dylan quickly clocked on to Brandon eyeing him and froze mid-bite. "What?" he asked though his mouth full.

"Nothing, I just—I would never have guessed you and Kelly Taylor were friends." Brandon probed gently.

Dylan swallowed his pie and dragged his fork through the rest of his pie. He felt like Brandon was someone he could probably trust, but they weren't quite there yet. The last thing Dylan wanted to talk to anybody about was Kelly Taylor. Partly because he didn't quite know how to put their friendship into words.

"Don't worry about it, Brandon." He simply replied and Brandon knew that it was best to drop it.

* * *

Brenda Walsh walked through the halls of West Bev the following Thursday and watched as every guy they passed gawked over Kelly—and she completely ate it up. It was no mystery to anybody that Kelly Taylor reveled in the attention she got from guys. She was one of the most beautiful girls Brenda had ever seen, so she understood completely. Every girl wanted to be her and every guy wanted to have her. Brenda did suspect, however, that Kelly's beauty came with a hefty price tag. There was something about her though. Brenda just knew there was more than met the eye, and maybe she would know what someday.

For now, Brenda and Kelly stopped at the bottom of the stairs and watched as bad-boy Dylan McKay opened his locker. For some strange reason, Brenda was instantly drawn to him. But she had heard stories. Some not so flattering stories. He was a loner, he skipped school, he hung out in the wrong crowds, he was always doing something to get himself in trouble.

"You know," Kelly began as they continued to watch Dylan "there was a time when I would have given anything to go on a date with Dylan McKay." she confessed.

Brenda raised her eyebrows. Kelly and Dylan?_ Really?_ They really didn't seem to fit. Maybe it was just a lust thing. They were both stupidly attractive after all.

"Really? Everybody says that he's trouble."

Kelly shook her head; "I've known Dylan my whole life, he's just misunderstood."

Brenda was stunned into momentary silence. It was a moment of revelations. Kelly Taylor had shown some compassion and Dylan McKay perhaps wasn't everything the rumours made him out to be.

"Though," Kelly began again, "if he is trouble, he can trouble me all he_ wants_."

_Ah._ There was the Kelly Brenda had grown to, _sort of_, love.

Kelly dragged Brenda over to Dylan's locker and stood opposite him.

"Hi Dylan" she greeted with a smile.

"Hi Kel, how you doing?" he asked as he leaned against the locker and crossed his arms.

"Good. Brenda and I were just wondering, what do guys prefer: girls with long or short hair?" she asked with a furrowed eyebrow.

"That's a very profound question Kelly. Personally, I prefer blondes."

Kelly smirked; "Really?"

"Truly..." he said quietly as he leaned forward slightly, "and you're definitely my favourite."

Kelly chuckled and shoved him lightly in the chest; "Shut up" she scolded, seeing right through his flirty antics.

Dylan turned his attention to the brunette standing sheepishly beside Kelly. "So, you're Brandon's sister?"

Brenda stood up straighter, caught off guard that he was paying any attention to her. "Yeah. I'm Brandon's sister."

Kelly watched as the two of them stared at each other for a moment too long. She cleared her throat; "Yeah, she's Brandon's sister." she confirmed as Dylan snapped out of it and looked back at her.

"Right. Come on Taylor." Dylan said as he pulled Kelly towards him and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Where are you going?" Brenda asked as she shifted awkwardly.

"Oh, every Thursday Dylan and I go to the Peach Pit for a slice of Nat's finest peach pie. It's been a tradition since we were 14." Kelly said with a smile.

Dylan shrugged; "Date night" he said casually.

Kelly lightly elbowed him in the stomach; "Oh stop, it's not a date, it's not a date Bren." Kelly assured her, not that she needed to, but she did it anyway.

"I'll never stop trying to make it one." he jokingly teased.

Kelly rolled her eyes. For all the years they had been friends, this was characteristic of their relationship. Flirtatious fun that never amounted to anything.

"Give it up McKay. Bye Bren" Kelly said as Dylan dragged her out the door.

What was with those two? Brenda thought, determined to get the bottom of this weird friendship they had going.

* * *

That night, Brenda spoke to Kelly on the phone very briefly before bed. They talked what Brenda's parents deemed complete nonsense and gossip. They debriefed any drama from school, talked the latest fashion trends and the cutest boys. Brenda waited for the perfect opening to ask about Dylan. She thought she would never get the chance. Kelly was a real talker. Eventually, she took a second of silence that Kelly left and dropped the question.

"So, what's the deal with you and Dylan?" she asked.

Kelly froze for a brief second before replying; "What do you mean?" She asked. She felt like Brenda was a trustworthy person, but she didn't talk about her friendship with Dylan to anyone, let alone someone she just met a few weeks ago.

"You guys go on dates but you're not dating" Brenda replied.

"I can assure you they're not dates." Kelly quickly said. "I just—I've known Dylan forever and he's the one person in the world that I really trust. Ever since we were 5 years old and I asked him to go on the seesaw with me, he is someone I've never been able to shake. Not that I want to shake him." she rambled, stopping herself before she said anything that could be considered incriminating. She couldn't quite describe just what Dylan McKay meant to her. He was her friend and in many ways her family.

"Why is he the only person that you trust?" Brenda asked quietly. She didn't want to get too personal, but she was dying to know the truth.

Kelly was silent for a moment before simply replied; "Don't worry about it, Bren."

She wished her new friend goodnight before hanging up the phone and closing her eyes, remembering back to a time when everything seemed like it might be ok.

_Summer 1988_

_"Dylan, hold on! You're going too fast my legs aren't as long as yours!" Kelly exclaimed as Dylan led her over some rocks on the beach._

_"Oh, come on Kel, I've seen you in gym class, I know you're quick."_

_"Quick, maybe, stable on slippy rocks, not so much." Kelly complained as Dylan reached up his hand and helped her down from the rocks until they made it onto solid ground._

_"I could have broken my neck." Kelly whined as she stood in front of Dylan with her arms crossed over her chest in defiance._

_Dylan rested his hands on the side of her arms; "Yet here you are, in one perfect piece."_

_Kelly rolled her eyes and walked past Dylan and looked around the secluded beach._

_"Where are we?" she asked curiously._

_"Paradise Cove. My favourite place on Earth." he said happily as he ran ahead of her slightly._

_"It's so beautiful here..." Kelly said quietly, as she dropped her arms—and her attitude._

_Dylan turned around and watched as Kelly looked in wonder out at the ocean. Since his dad was working most of the time, Dylan had spent his summer exploring Beverly Hills. When he found this spot on the beach, he knew he had struck gold and he knew there was only one person on the planet he wanted to share this with—and she was standing right in front of him. After devouring some peach pie, they got on their bikes and made their way as close to the cove as they could before Dylan led Kelly over the rocks._

_"I thought you might like it." he replied as he sat down on the sand and Kelly soon skipped over and sat beside him._

_"So, why did you bring me here?" Kelly asked._

_"Why would I want to bring anyone else?" he challenged._

_Kelly giggled and shoved him lightly; "I'm serious Dylan, why me?"_

_"Well... I know you've had a pretty rough summer with your mom and her drug problem and her latest husband" Dylan approached cautiously as Kelly looked down at her feet. "So, I figured you could do with seeing that the world can still be a beautiful place if you look in the right places."_

_"Something tells me you needed a dose of that beauty too." Kelly said quietly, knowing all about Jack McKay's bad parenting and Dylan's antics. She knew he often found himself in a little bit of trouble—she was the one who often got him out of it before his dad caught on—but she also knew all Dylan wanted was a little bit of attention—good or bad._

_"Yeah, I definitely do. This place has been a safe haven to me this summer. Maybe it could be one for you too." Dylan suggested._

_Kelly smiled softly; "Maybe... but I've already forgotten how to get here so I'll need you to show me again."_

_"You got yourself a deal."_

_"How about we make another deal?" Kelly suggested as Dylan raised an eyebrow and looked at her._

_"I'm listening..." he replied curiously._

_"There is no doubt that we have been though more than any 14-year-old should have to go through and considering we're starting high school in a few short weeks, I don't think the trials and tribulations are going to end here." Kelly concluded._

_Dylan sighed and ran his hand through the sand; "You're telling me..."_

_"So... let's promise not to deal with everything ourselves. Let's promise to always be there for each other, to always be in each other's corner, to always talk to each other and fight for one another." Kelly suggested. "You are one of a kind Dylan McKay and I don't want to ever let you go."_

_"Can I add something else on to our pact?"_

_Kelly smiled; "Of course."_

_"Every Thursday, we go to The Pit and we get a piece of pie. Even if we sit for 5 minutes, eat the pie and then leave—let's promise to always do it. Think of it as a way to remind each other of our pact."_

_Kelly smiled wider; "That sounds like the perfect idea. And Paradise Cove—if we're ever feeling overwhelmed with life, we come here."_

_"Something tells me we're going to find each other here a lot."_

_"Oh, probably" Kelly said as they both sniggered._

_Kelly wrapped her arms around Dylan's and rested her head on his shoulder. "How are we ever going to survive high school Dylan?"_

_"... together. We'll survive because we'll deal with it together."_

Kelly opened her eyes when she heard a bottle smash downstairs. It was a pity that her memories couldn't take away from her reality. She grabbed her robe and went downstairs, ready to clean up whatever mess her mother had made that evening in one of her drug fuelled rages.


	2. Tough Love

Thank you to everyone who reviewed so positively! I'm so glad people are interested in some DK stories... hopefully you'll enjoy this one!

This whole story will essentially follow the story of the show, just with twisted relationships (heightened version of DK) and added moments to their relationship (this is often how I approach a lot of my stories.)

This chapter is based around 1x07. Enjoy and don't forget to leave a review!

* * *

Chapter Two- Tough Love

After spending the week cleaning up after her mother in a bid to ensure she would stay sober and ready for the West Bev mother daughter fashion show—that Jackie was supposed to be hosting—Kelly was fed up. She was only 16 years old, how much more of this was she supposed to be able to take? She had an image that she so delicately protected around here. She was a princess, a beauty queen, everyone knew she was going to own this fashion show, yet Kelly had a funny feeling her mother was about to ruin it for her and everything people thought they knew about Kelly Taylor would be proved a lie.

She sulked around the corridors of West Bev that Friday afternoon, not looking where she was going. She sighed loudly when she bumped straight into a tall figure. She was ready to shout at him when she felt two secure hands steady her arms and a cool voice say; "Wow, Taylor. What's with the dramatics?"

She looked up and was met by Dylan's furrowed eyebrows. She rolled her eyes at his statement; "I'm not being dramatic it was an accident."

"Well, what's with the bad mood then?" he pried further. He wasn't going to let this one go, not when she was clearly upset about something. He took in her appearance. He couldn't remember the last time he saw Kelly look so exhausted and fed up. To anyone else, she would have looked perfectly put together, just like normal, but Dylan knew better. He could see it in her eyes.

"Don't ask something you don't really want to know the answer to Dylan." she grumbled.

"Why wouldn't I want to know the answer? Kel, if you can't tell me, who can you tell?" he asked softly as Kelly let out a breath she didn't even realise she was holding in. What was it about Dylan that could make her feel so calm in an instant?

"It's just my mom." she said vaguely, but Dylan knew exactly what she meant. He had seen Jackie Taylor when she was on a coke binge and it certainly was not a pretty sight.

"I thought she was doing better" he commented as they moved over to the side to avoid any eavesdroppers.

"So did I, but then she got dumped by some guy named Don and she relapsed. She gets pretty nasty when she relapses." she confessed quietly, not wanting to repeat let alone _think_ about the things her mother had been saying to her.

"I'm sorry Kel. I know how hard all of this is on you." he said as he delicately ran his hand up and down her arm.

"Anything I try to do to make it better, somehow makes it worse."

"Sometimes you have to let the people you love sink to rock bottom before they're willing to listen to you and get help." Dylan suggested. He'd watched as Kelly cleaned up her mother's messes for years and all he wanted to do was tell her to leave her be, let her clean up her own messes, but that just wasn't Kelly. The compassion in her heart wouldn't let her do it.

"You're probably right. It's easier said than done though, I'm not particularly a fan of abandoning the people I love."

"It's not abandoning. It's just tough love." Dylan said, twisting his words to fit in with Kelly's view point. She saw her eyes soften as she heard the words tough love. Abandonment she couldn't do but tough love? Well, that sounded right up her street. Maybe it was time she gave that a try.

Before anything else could be said, Dylan and Kelly noticed Brenda at the other end of the hallway.

"Does Brenda know about Jackie?" Dylan asked cautiously. He figured she didn't, but there was something about the Walsh children that Dylan trusted. If he could trust Brandon, maybe it was time Kelly learned to trust someone else too.

"As far as she's aware Jackie is a super cool mom." Kelly said as she rolled her eyes, thinking about the display Jackie put on for Brenda a few days ago.

"Maybe you could talk to her about it, I get the vibe she's a sensible one." Dylan sort of joked as Kelly smiled softly.

"Again, you're probably right, which is an unusual turn of events..." she teased.

"Hey..." Dylan said, feigning offence at Kelly's teasing.

"But I really don't like talking about it." Kelly said as she folded her arms over her body as if trying to protect herself.

Dylan shrugged lightly; "You told me."

"I know, but there's something easy about talking to someone you've known your whole life who is cut from the same rich kid, sucky parent cloth."

"That's true..." Dylan agreed. "Well, you know there's always space at Casa McKay if you need somewhere to stay." Dylan offered.

Kelly raised an eyebrow; "You mean Casa _Bellage._" Kelly couldn't remember the last time Dylan ever had a house to call his own. There was briefly a house when he was around 10 that had the most magnificent tree house in the backyard, but apart from that, it had been hotel after hotel and Jack McKay seemed comfortable in The Bellage for now.

Dylan groaned and nudged Kelly; "It doesn't sound as homey when you remind me it's a hotel... either way, it's there if you need it."

"Thanks" Kelly said, just as Brenda approached the pair with a smile on her face.

"Hi Kel, Dylan" she greeted happily. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Oh, nothing. Just school stuff." Kelly said with a shrug as Dylan gave them a tight-lipped smile. "Come on Bren, we need to go over a few things before the fashion show. See you later Dylan" Kelly said as happily as she could before linking arms with Brenda and walking away.

As Dylan went over to his locker, Kelly glanced back at him with a somber look on her face. As hard as Dylan McKay could try, Kelly wasn't convinced he could save her from this one.

* * *

The following morning, Kelly was rushing around the house trying to get her and her mother ready for the show. In an entirely unsurprising move, Jackie went on a binge the previous night and was now lying in bed, unable to move with a killer hangover. Kelly had begged her to get up and all she got was grunted responses, she even tried dragging her off the bed but it was like dragging a dead weight. She called Jackie's so-called friends for advice, but they had nothing helpful to say.

She stormed into the kitchen to get some water and coffee for her mother when the phone rang, she angrily picked it up and sighed; "Hello?"

"Hey Kel it's me... are you ok?" she heard Dylan's voice down the line. He immediately picked up on her mood and knew something was wrong.

"Dylan I can't talk right now I have to try and get my mother out of bed."

"Is she ok?"

"No, she's not ok! I'm not ok! Nothing is ok!" Kelly exclaimed as she slammed the coffee pot down, lifted the glasses and made her way upstairs.

"Kelly, just take a breath. Get her some water or some coffee-"

"Yeah, that's what I'm doing right—oh my god." she exclaimed as she walked into her mother's room.

"What?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Kelly shouted at her mother, as she watched her take a line of cocaine. "Dylan, I have to go." she said down the line as she hung up the phone.

"Kelly?" he asked, but it was too late, she had already hung up. Dylan put the phone down and pondered for a brief moment. It didn't take long for him to realise that he had to go down to the fashion show and make sure everything was ok.

* * *

After arriving late, Kelly stood nervously by the door to the dressing room at the fashion show. Her mother had gone in and started charming her way around the room, but Kelly needed to take a breath. She needed to get herself together so she could put on a show too.

Dylan rushed up the back stairs and froze when he saw Kelly standing there in her black dress for the show. As usual, she looked beautiful, but Dylan saw past the beauty and saw her tried and sad eyes. He saw her turmoil and her pain. Not many people could ever see that deep into Kelly Taylor's soul.

Kelly turned around and froze when she saw Dylan. At that moment, he saw something in her eyes change. They seemed that little bit brighter and her posture was that little less stiff.

"Hi" she greeted quietly as she walked towards him and stood at the top of the stairs.

"Hi" he greeted as he stood a few steps down from her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked curiously. A fashion show was the last place she would ever expect to see Dylan McKay.

"You sounded pretty stressed on the phone, I wanted to make sure everything was ok."

Kelly crossed her arms over her body and sighed; "Well, my mother is completely coked up, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Kel-"

"There is no way in hell I am staying in that house tonight, I'll sleep in my car if I have to-"

"No, you're not." Dylan said quickly as he rested his hand on her crossed arms. "You're staying with me."

Kelly looked at her feet; "Dylan, this isn't your problem."

"Do you remember the summer before 9th grade and I took you to Paradise Cove?" Dylan asked.

Kelly smiled softly. Of course she remembered. It was one of the only good memories she had of her childhood. She nodded lightly. "It's one of my favourite places on Earth."

"Mine too. It's just so peaceful up there and so beautiful. It makes all your problems seem so insignificant." Dylan said with a small smile that Kelly returned. "We promised each other that night that if things ever got too much in life, we would go there. We promised we would always be there for each other no matter what. Do you know the number of times we have gone there since that summer and found each other?"

Kelly laughed lightly. It was more times than she was willing to admit.

"We may not be in Paradise Cove right now Kel, but I can still be there for you. Let me help you."

Kelly looked at Dylan as his eyes pierced through hers. She asked herself the same question she'd found herself asking repeatedly throughout her life- What was it about this boy that made everything seem ok?

"You are one of a kind Dylan McKay." Kelly said, repeating her words from that summer night 2 years ago.

Dylan smirked and shrugged; "So people tell me. Here" he said holding up a room card. "Room 405."

"... thank you" Kelly said as she took the card from him and watched as he disappeared down the stairs.

* * *

_"What do you know? You have no idea what it's like to live with an alcoholic. You probably think that everybody's family is just perfect like yours."_

_"My family is not perfect."_

_"Well, at least they're sober and right now, that would be perfect enough for me."_

After Jackie made a fool of herself hosting the fashion show, Kelly found herself spilling everything to Brenda. Her façade was broken, she was humiliated, so what was one more ounce of humiliation for the girl who supposedly had everything?

As Kelly sat in the Walsh's kitchen, she thought about Dylan. Maybe he was right—about more than one thing. Brenda was somebody she could trust and what her mother needed was some serious tough love. When she heard her mother's voice at the front door, she knew it was time to pick herself up and stand her ground.

_"You broke a promise to me and you broke a promise to yourself. And I'm not going to live with a mother who I can't trust anymore. I want you to go back to Timber Hills. It's just like last time, you think you can control it, but you can't. Mom, you need help. You don't even know what okay is anymore. Don't you realize what your drinking and cocaine does to me? I am in high school, Mom. I need somebody to take care of me, - to listen to my problems." she reasoned. Quite frankly, it wasn't Dylan McKay or Brenda Walsh's job to deal with all her crap and it certainly wasn't fair on them either. "I don't need a best friend. I need a mother. And I don't care if you're fat, I don't care if you're old, I don't care if you're beautiful. I love you no matter what. So maybe you should just stop worrying about what you look like - and start figuring out who you are."_

_"I can't be everything to everybody."_

_"You don't have to be. But when you're drinking, Mom, you are nothing to nobody."_

* * *

After having dinner with the Walshes, Kelly made her way home that night to weather the storm. She figured after all she said to her mother, they needed to come up with a solution. To Kelly's surprise, she found her mother in her bedroom packing a bag. It didn't take long for Jackie to realise that Kelly was right. She needed help. She needed a mother and she was determined to get better. Kelly had never felt so relieved in all her life. They spent the rest of the evening talking and catching up on life and that morning Kelly was going to drive her mother to Timber Hills Rehab Facility.

Before she left that morning, however, Kelly had one very important phone call to make.

"Hello?" she heard the raspy voice say down the line. She had clearly just woken him up.

"Hi." she greeted softly.

"Hey Taylor" Dylan said again, a little brighter after realising who it was. "I was going to call you later, are you ok?" He had been worried when she hadn't come to the hotel last night or that she didn't call.

"Yeah, I am actually." Kelly said as she smiled down the line. "I meant to call you last night and tell you that I wouldn't be coming over but I ended up staying up all night talking to my mom."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I think everything's going to be ok Dylan. For the first time in my life I can actually say that and it's all because of your tough love policy."

"I'm glad to hear it worked out Kel. And even if things don't turn out to be ok-"

"I know I'll always have you in my corner." she said, finishing his train of thought. "You know, for someone who is a self-proclaimed loner, you were pretty persistent with me McKay."

"Ah, I was just helping a kindred spirit." he joked.

Kelly sniggered; "Well, I think you should help people more often. They'd be lucky to even know you. I'll see you soon Dylan."

"Yeah. See you soon Taylor."


	3. Guardian Angel

_Thank you again to everyone who reviewed! As long as they keep coming so I know people are still interested, then I'll be updating pretty regularly! _

_Hope you enjoy this chapter!_

_Based on 1x10_

* * *

Chapter Three- Guardian Angel

A few weeks after the fashion show, Brenda watched Dylan and Kelly carefully as they laughed about something by Kelly's locker. She was amazed how quickly Kelly bounced back from her mother's problems and how quickly she shifted into the old Kelly Taylor again. Everyone knew about her mother's foolish performance at the show, yet nobody dared mention it. Now here she was, laughing about something with Dylan. Brenda was also amazed that _Dylan_ was laughing. Every time she saw him around school, he was brooding in a corner reading a book, but not when Kelly Taylor was around. There was a lightness to him whenever he saw her—and Brenda was determined to get to the bottom of it. What happened in their past that made them so close?

"Hey guys!" she greeted happily as she walked over to them.

"Oh, Hi Bren" Kelly greeted with a smile. "What's going on?"

"Well, I was thinking if you guys are interested, we could hang out tonight? Maybe go see a movie or get something to eat? I'll ask Brandon too." Brenda suggested.

"I don't know Brenda, Dylan doesn't really do friends..." Kelly teased.

Dylan lightly nudged her; "Watch yourself Taylor. Sounds good, I'll be there."

"I will also be there." Kelly confirmed, surprised that Dylan was all of a sudden interested in hanging out with people.

"Great! I'll call you later with the details." Brenda said as she walked away with a bounce in her step.

Kelly turned to look at Dylan and narrowed her eyes; "Why are you so keen to socialise all of a sudden?"

"All of a sudden? Kel, I am very sociable-"

"Drop the act McKay." Kelly said with a playful eye roll.

"There's no act Taylor, Brenda seems cool." he said with a shrug. He didn't know much about the girl but she seemed strong willed and passionate and he liked that. He liked that she was a _thinker_\- not many people around here were.

Kelly stood up straighter and smiled in a moment of realisation; "..You like Brenda Walsh."

"I don't know the girl-"

"When have you ever wanted to _know_ a girl? Oh my gosh... you _want_ to know her, that means you really do like her! Aw, Dylan..." Kelly said with a little squeal. She had never known Dylan to actually catch feelings for the girls her pursued. Feelings were unimaginable to Dylan. Feelings meant vulnerability and he wasn't about to open himself up to anyone unnecessarily.

"You're letting your imagination run wild Kel. I'll see you tonight." he said before walking away and leaving Kelly intrigued by what his plans were.

* * *

The evening soon rolled around and the four teens had made their way to the movie theatre. Brenda had been staring at Dylan all night and Kelly was quick to notice. She wasn't quite sure what to think of the thought of Brenda and Dylan dating. They didn't seem to have any similarities. Brenda was more of a goodie two shoes type, Dylan was more of a rebel. However, maybe Dylan needed a bit of stability in his life and Brenda needed a thrill.

As they bought their snacks at the kiosk, a girl walked past the group and smirked, running a hand over Dylan's shoulder.

"Hi Dylan" she greeted.

Dylan smirked back as she walked away; "Hey, how you doing?"

"Dear god..." Kelly grumbled as she ate some popcorn.

Dylan raised an eyebrow; "Something on your mind Taylor?"

"Why is it every time we do something, we always run into someone you used to 'hang out with'?" She said, putting air quotations around the final few words. She knew all too well that these girls they ran into did a lot more with Dylan than_ 'hang out_'.

Dylan smirked; "I'm a man of the world."

Kelly rolled her eyes; "Sure you are."

"I would have introduced you guys, but I can't remember her name..." he said as he tried to rack his brain.

"Nice..." Brenda commented.

Dylan turned to look at her; "It's not my fault. She kept changing it something like Tanya or Blue cause her real name is something like Gertrude or Beatrice or... _Brenda_."

Brenda growled and stabbed Dylan with her straw before sulking off.

"That's a mean right hook..." Dylan said as he rubbed his shoulder.

"Who do you think she practices on?" Brandon asked as the three of them made their way after Brenda and into the theatre.

While they watched the film, Kelly couldn't help but notice Dylan stealing glances over at Brenda every now and again. She tried not to think about it, but he kept moving, it was distracting! After the film they went back to Dylan's suite at the Bellage and ordered some burgers and fries—all courtesy of Jack McKay's credit card. Kelly noticed how the pair kept stealing glances all evening there too. It was like Brenda was trying to resist him, but quite simply couldn't. There was a spark, there was something between them and it was undeniable.

_Maybe Brenda was exactly what Dylan needed_ \- was the only thing that ran through Kelly's head all night. She felt a little uneasy about it, but at the same time, knew that someone like Brenda could be good for him. She internally rolled her eyes at herself. She was acting like his mother, trying to pair him off with the next available, normal, sensible girl; though knowing Iris McKay 'sensible' and 'normal' were probably the _last_ things she would want in a girlfriend for her son. She would want someone with a bit of spunk and spirit, which in a lot of ways, Brenda had.

The following morning, Kelly had woken up and decided that she was going to make Dylan and Brenda happen. She had a good feeling about it and the first thing she said to Brenda when she met her in the quad was how taken with her Dylan was.

"I'm telling you Brenda, he could not take his eyes off you all night." Kelly said with a smile.

"It wasn't a date, you and Brandon were there!" Brenda insisted after Kelly told her it felt like one.

"Dylan doesn't waste his time on just anyone. He's known as a man of action."

"It was just a friend thing, I'm not even his type." Brenda continued to protest. She wondered how her quest to find out what the deal was between Kelly and Dylan had turned into her igniting a spark with Dylan.

"We can work on that." Kelly said as she wiggled her eyebrows and Brenda playfully shoved her.

"I have to go meet Andrea, but tonight, we'll see another movie with the boys?" Brenda asked as she started to walk away. "Wait, no, Brandon's sick so it will just be the three of us."

Kelly raised her eyebrows, wondering why Brenda would ever want to be involved in an awkward third wheel situation "Oh, I'll think about it..." Kelly lied, knowing full well she wasn't going to go. As Brenda turned the corner, she felt someone poke her sides and she jumped out of her skin. "God, Dylan you scared me..."

"Sorry" he said with a chuckle; "So, Brenda tells me we're going to see another film tonight. You're coming, right?"

"Hm... I don't know." Kelly said as she turned to face him.

Dylan smirked and casually pulled at her dress; "Was it _really_ that hard for you to spend time with me last night?"

"It was testing..." she teased. "I'm kidding, I had fun but uh—Brandon's sick so I would just be the awkward third wheel on you and Brenda."

Dylan raised his eyebrows and dropped his hands; "Me and Brenda?" he questioned. For some reason, he felt a little weird talking to Kelly about Brenda. They could normally talk about anything but this just left a pit in his stomach.

Kelly rolled her eyes; "Don't even pretend you're not into her, I can see right through you McKay." she said as she poked him in the stomach.

Dylan nodded lightly; "I'll admit there's something intriguing about her..."

"Well, she's great. You'd be wise to get to know her." Kelly encouraged with a tight-lipped smile.

Dylan smirked and pulled at Kelly's dress again, this time a little harder so there was only a small gap between their chests; "But you know I prefer blondes..."

Kelly scoffed and rolled her eyes; "I think you can put your prejudices aside for one girl."

"Are you ever going to give me the time of day Taylor?" Dylan questioned, once again feeling rejected by Kelly following their flirtatious fun. "One minute you're flirting with me, the next you're telling me your woes, we're practically a fully-fledged couple." he teased as he fixed the twisted charm on her necklace.

Kelly looked up at him and hugged her books close to her chest; "You are not a relationship guy."

"I reckon I could be a relationship guy with the right girl." he said quietly.

"Hm... maybe that's Brenda. Have fun." Kelly said as she bumped him with her hip before walking away, leaving Dylan sighing and a solemn look on her face. She couldn't quite believe that after all their years of flirting, now it was starting to catch up on her. Dylan also felt a little empty after their interaction- but what was he supposed to do? Wallow over a relationship that could never be? So, he decided the only thing to do was take her advice and pursue things with Brenda.

* * *

While Brenda and Dylan hung out that night, Kelly decided that a little bit of late-night retail therapy was in order. She happily shopped away for an hour or so, before she saw someone unexpected. Jack McKay, in the flesh on Rodeo Drive. She didn't realise he was back in town, Dylan had told her a few weeks ago that he was spending an extended period of time in New York. She had tried calling Dylan this morning to check in, knowing that seeing his father normally did a number on him, but there was no answer, which was why she was surprised to see Dylan walking through the hallways of West Bev with a spring in his step.

"Hey" she greeted cautiously as she caught up with him in the hallway.

Dylan smiled at her as they kept walking; "Hey Taylor, how's it going?"

"Good, how are you?"

"Ah, I'm getting by" he said as he stopped to buy a drink from the soda machine.

Kelly crossed her arms and furrowed her eyebrows; "You're in a good mood."

"Is that surprising to you?"

"A little bit considering I saw you dad in town yesterday. He's back?" she questioned, expecting Dylan to grow solemn. She didn't want to ruin his bad mood, but she didn't want him to bottle anything up either.

Dylan sighed; "Unfortunately so..."

"Did he bust your date?"

"Oh yeah. We didn't quite make it to the movie and then when we got to my place... there he was. To say things got a little heated would probably be an understatement." Dylan confessed.

"I can only imagine how Brenda took it."

"Better than you might think" Dylan said with a smile as Brenda walked over and slipped under his arm.

"Hi" she said quietly before quickly kissing his cheek leaving Kelly wide eyed. Yesterday they were fighting the possibility of them being something and now they were all over each other? What happened on that date?

"Hi" he replied before Brenda turned her attention to Kelly.

"Oh, Hi Kel!" Brenda greeted.

"Uh, hi—hi Bren." Kelly said, a little lost for words. "You uh—you want to come to the bathroom for a second?" Kelly asked.

Brenda raised an eyebrow, knowing exactly what Kelly wanted her to go to the bathroom for. "Sure... I'll see you at lunch Dylan?"

"Absolutely." he said before Brenda quickly dragged Kelly into the bathroom.

"Ok, spill." Kelly quickly said.

"It was a super intense night Kel. We went to his house and his dad was there and they had this huge fight and Dylan went straight towards the alcohol-"

"Wait, wait, Dylan had a drink?" Kelly said, the concern entirely evident in her voice. He had been doing so well with the alcohol thing and now all it took was one quick visit from dad to knock him back a few steps.

"No, no, I stopped him and then he stormed out the door. I went after him, we yelled a bit, and then he—he told me everything."

Kelly raised her eyebrows; "Everything?" Dylan never told anybody everything. Anybody except her.

"He told me how his dad kicked him out last year and they didn't speak for a whole year. I just can't imagine being cut off from my parents like that..."

"Yeah well, Dylan's parents really did a number on him."

"I know. He has some deep-rooted mommy and daddy issues but the way he was talking to me, I don't know... it made me like him even more." Brenda confessed with a goofy smile.

"Have you told your parents?"

"Well, they know something's going on and they're not too happy about it. I told them this morning that we were going to go out again and the essentially forbid me from going." Brenda said as she turned to look in the mirror and fix her hair. "It's like they're all in this conspiracy to take away the best and most exciting thing that's happened to me since I moved here."

"Well, you could always keep your date with Dylan and sleep at my house." Kelly said with a shrug. She and her friends had done that for each other plenty of times, maybe it was time to initiate Brenda into the club.

"Really?"

"Sure, why not." Kelly said with a shrug.

"I don't know, I just—I really like him Kel, but it's going pretty fast."

Kelly looked at Brenda, not sure what she meant, but it didn't take long for her to clock on. "This isn't just any date is it? This is a sex date."

"I'm still a virgin Kelly. I don't want to jump into something just because I find it thrilling. It should mean more than that, shouldn't it?" Brenda asked.

Kelly scoffed; "I'm really not the best person to ask." She'd gained a reputation for herself. A not so good reputation, and she quite simply enjoyed sex—in love or not, it all felt good to her. Well, most of the time anyway.

"Tell me honestly Kel, do you really think this is a good idea?" Brenda said as she turned back to look at her friend.

"Well, you like him, don't you?"

"I'm just a little more into romance..." Brenda confessed.

Kelly laughed; "I'm not convinced Dylan has a romantic bone in his body." It would never occur to him that this was a big deal to Brenda. It would never occur to him to woo her before sleeping with her. "But... he is one of the good ones. I'm not saying you should sleep with him, but I don't think it's a bad idea to date him."

"One of the good ones? You're probably the only person out there who thinks so."

"I just know him better than most people do. Look, I can tell how much this means to you and if he was a complete bastard, I would tell you, I promise, but—he's not. Experienced? _Hell yeah_. A jerk? _No_." Kelly insisted. "Somethings tells me that after last night, you already know there's more than meets the eye to Dylan McKay."

"Yeah. There really is."

* * *

That evening, just as she was getting into bed, Kelly got a frantic phone call from Brenda. She was screaming down the phone at how much of a jerk Dylan was and how he didn't even bother to show up for her date and how completely humiliated she was and embarrassed that she trusted him. Kelly eventually got her to calm down and take a breath. She tried to convince her that there was probably a reasonable explanation as to why Dylan didn't show up, but Brenda wasn't having any of it. She told her she wasn't even going to come to school tomorrow and that was that.

After Brenda hung up in a rage, Kelly sighed before picking up the phone to call Dylan and find out what was going on. To her surprise, however, the Bellage told her that the McKay suite had been closed and Dylan had moved out. What the hell was going on?

The first thing Kelly did when she arrived at school was hunt Dylan down. It didn't take long before she found him in one of the computer suites.

"You busy?" she asked as she crossed her arms.

"For you? Never." he said with a smirk, but still continued to look at his screen.

"Hm, you might rethink that when you hear what I have to say." Kelly challenged as Dylan sighed and turned in his stool to look at her.

"If this is about Brenda-"

"I just want to know what happened Dylan. Brenda is really upset, she didn't even come to school today."

"Something came up."

"Then why were you a jerk about it? You could have called her." Kelly said, raising her voice slightly at Dylan's apparent indifference.

"I didn't really have time."

"I also called your suite last night. Apparently, you moved, didn't leave a forwarding address." she said, but Dylan remained silent. He wasn't ready to talk about this, not even to Kelly. "Look, you don't have to tell me, ok? But Brenda thinks she did something wrong."

"It has nothing to do with her."

"Then you have to tell her that. Otherwise you're just living up to people's expectations of you and you and I both know you're not an inconsiderate jerk."

Dylan fiddled with some wires in his hands, unable to look Kelly in the eye. "Maybe I'm better off this way. Alone."

"You are definitely not. She could be the greatest thing to ever happen to you if you just let her in." Kelly insisted.

Dylan stood from his stool and towered over Kelly slightly. "Why are you pushing me towards Brenda?" he asked quietly.

Kelly gulped; "I just think she could be good for you and there's clearly some sparks between you. I just want you to be happy Dylan and find some normality amongst the chaos."

Dylan nodded and thought about what she said for a moment. "You really think she could be it?"

Kelly shrugged lightly; "You'll never know until you try."

It didn't take long for Dylan to realise that Kelly was right. He'd be a fool to miss out on the opportunity to have something great with a girl like Brenda Walsh. They made amends and decided to keep seeing each other—but Brenda made it abundantly clear that she was in no way ready for sex, which Dylan was ok with. He liked her for her mind and he knew if it was right, the rest would follow.

Before he went to bed that night, he was sure to call Kelly and thank her for always being his guardian angel and she was quick to tell him that he didn't need her and he would have worked out he was being a douchebag on his own eventually.

Dylan chuckled lightly at Kelly's backhanded compliment. She said he was a douchebag, but not an oblivious douchebag. He also chuckled at her saying he didn't need her.

"Despite what you think Kel, something tells me I'll always need you." he replied, before saying goodnight with a contented smile on his face.

* * *

_Don't forget to review :)_


	4. Slumber Party

_Hi everyone! It's so lovely seeing people engaging in this story, I really enjoyed writing it- particularly this chapter- so it's great to see you guys enjoying the twist in the story! Seeing you guys get into it makes me want to constantly post, but I am trying to leave a little more time between chapters... it is difficult though! _

_Tish- Thanks for your review! I am planning on very briefly discussing Dylan's reaction to her relationship with Steve, but it's not a major part of the story :)_

_This chapter is based on 1x13 and we get to see more of Dylan and Kelly's friendship before the Walshes came to BH... enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Four- Slumber Party

Despite protests from Donna and Kelly that having a slumber party was 'so 7th grade,' Brenda decided that a girl's night was exactly what they all needed. Since arriving in Beverly Hills a few short months ago, Brenda felt like life was speeding by them all. She felt like all of her friends were growing up too fast. They were all wearing the latest clothes, going to college parties, having copious amounts of meaningless sex—they were 16, why wouldn't they want to stay kids for as long as possible? And what better way to revisit your childish roots than with a slumber party?

Kelly and Donna eventually agreed to come, but were sure to pack a set of party clothes in case things got a little lame and they wanted to head out this great party at CU. Kelly also invited her friend Amanda. To say she was unhappy to be there was an understatement. To her, this was the lamest thing in the world, especially when they could be at a college party with alcohol and hot guys. As things took a turn from dull to duller, Amanda decided to spice things up a bit. She had heard from Kelly that Brenda and Dylan had started dating, and while she didn't know much about Dylan and Kelly's friendship, she knew a few things that would no doubt push Brenda's buttons. She suggested a game where they each took turns in the hot seat and they had to answer every single question they were asked, or she would come up with a no doubt humiliating forfeit. Kelly loved the idea. She had no problem sharing some juicy secrets. Little did she know was that they ones she would end up sharing, were perhaps better off unsaid.

"Who was your first kiss?" Donna asked as Amanda smirked in the corner, knowing exactly who it was.

Kelly shifted awkwardly were she sat and looked down at the floor; "Uh, ok, well... my first kiss was in the 5th grade... with Dylan." she confessed as the other girls remained silence.

"Dylan? Dylan McKay? _My_ Dylan McKay?" Brenda questioned.

Kelly felt a spring of jealousy shoot through her. She had been the only person who ever had the right to call Dylan her Dylan. But not anymore. The right to do that passed the moment Brenda Walsh came into town.

"Yeah. It was stupid, we were playing in his tree house and he kissed me and uh-"

"And what?"

"Well..." Kelly said as she began to recount the whole story.

_Spring 1985_

_"Dylan, this is so cool!" Kelly exclaimed as they climbed up through the ladder of his brand-new tree house. It was a beautiful afternoon in Beverly Hills and as soon as Dylan saw the sun shining out of his window that morning, he knew today was the day he would show his best friend his new tree house. Ever since they'd shared a seesaw together on the first day of kindergarten, Kelly and Dylan had been thick as thieves, so naturally, she was the first person Dylan wanted to show his new treehouse to. _

_"Thanks, my dad had it built for me. You can see out over Beverly Hills from the window, come look!" he said as he pulled her arm towards the window and showed her the view. __There weren't many things that Jack McKay was good at, but upon occasion he found a way to buy his son's love._

_"Wow... I wish my dad would build me a tree house." Kelly said as they walked outside of the hut and sat on the ledge that surrounded it. "I'm lucky if I even get a gift on my birthday."_

_"You can come and play here any time you like Kelly."_

_"Thanks Dylan" Kelly said with a wide smile. "Why did you invite me here instead of I don't know—Kevin or Steve?"_

_Dylan shrugged; "I like you. You're cool."_

_"You think?"_

_"Yeah, I do. I've known you since we were little kids Kel, I think I'd know." Dylan told her as she giggled lightly._

_"Well I think you're cool too. You always looked out for me in the playground."_

_"It's no big deal..." Dylan said as he looked to his feet. Ever since he first laid eyes on Kelly, Dylan was captivated by her. There was only so much intrigue a five-year-old could have, but he had the strangest feeling about her. He had a feeling that she would always be someone very important to him._

_"It is a big deal. Thank you." she said as they looked at each other._

_Dylan didn't know what came over him in that moment, but before he knew it, he leant forward and kissed Kelly. It was a short but sweet peck that left Kelly with wide eyes. After a moment of silence, they both started laughing before falling onto their backs and looking up at the sky. After a few moments of laughing, they lay there in a comfortable silence._

_"I can't believe Dylan McKay just gave me my first kiss." Kelly said with another little laugh._

_"I can't believe Kelly Taylor was my first kiss." Dylan said, almost absentmindedly, like he hadn't come down from the cloud he was on. "You know—I think I'm going to marry you one day."_

_"What?!" Kelly said as she turned her head to look at him. "Dylan you better not be proposing marriage to me right now, we are 10 years old!"_

_"Not now... but one day. That way, I can be your first kiss and your last."_

"So... Dylan said he was going to marry you?" Donna questioned, loving how cute this story was, but completely oblivious to the scowl on Brenda's face.

"Yeah... but it's not big deal, we were just little kids." Kelly said, brushing it off as nothing, when really, it was one of the fondest memories she had of her childhood.

Brenda shifted uncomfortably. Ever since she and Dylan had started dating, she had managed to push any intrigue about Kelly and Dylan's relationship out of her mind. It didn't bother her. Dylan chose her (if you could even call it a choice.) But now, all that intrigue was raised again, and Brenda was worried. They had a long-standing connection. Sure, it was just a kiss in a tree house, but they were such good friends now. Who's to say that wouldn't develop into something more?

"If Dylan was your first kiss... who was your first sexual experience with?" Andrea boldly asked, taking their secret sharing session to the next level.

Kelly was about to reply with a long-winded story of her first time with Steve Sanders, but Amanda interrupted her before she started. "The _real_ story Kelly. Not that lie you spin about Steve being your first time. Go on, you can tell them. You're all friends, right? Tell them about Ross Webber."

Kelly gulped, wanting nothing more than to throttle Amanda in that moment. How dare she bring up something so personal. But—maybe it would be good to talk about this. Maybe she could allow herself to be vulnerable for just a moment.

"Who is Ross Webber?" Brenda asked.

"Ross Webber was this godly stud on the football team who I had a hopeless crush on in the ninth grade. I was working the whole year at getting close to him. I started hanging out with the JV cheerleaders, going to all the games, just tagging along wherever he was going to be. And one night, after some game, everybody was getting drunk except me. And a bunch of us drove up to Mulholland. When we got there, Ross says he wants to take me to his favourite spot in the woods. And I'm so stupid, I think, "Wow, that would be a neat thing to do. " But of course, when we get there, all he wants to do is have sex." Kelly explained a tear fell from her eye. "He kept saying, "Come on, Kel, I know you want it. "I know you want it, Kelly. " And I did. But not on the ground. He didn't even bring a blanket. And it was over pretty quick. And after that, he took me home. And never talked to me again." Kelly quickly wiped her eyes and sat up straighter, hating that she let her guard fall down.

"Kelly, I can't believe that happened to you. Why did you never say anything?" Donna asked as she rested her hand on top of her friend's.

"I was so ashamed. The only person I told about Ross was Dylan..."

_Spring 1990_

_Kelly sat sheepishly at the side of the quad and watched as the JV cheerleaders and the football team goofed around in the centre. They truly owned this place. They treated it like their palace—and Kelly hated it. She hated them, she hated him for what he did to her. He made her think that she was someone special. Someone he wanted to spend time with—but it was all a lie. He got what he wanted from her and then he tossed her aside like a piece of garbage. It had been two weeks since the incident. Two weeks since she felt completely dehumanized. She had recoiled into herself, she barely spent any time with her friends. She avoided everyone and everything._

_"Penny for your thoughts" she heard a voice say behind her. She looked up and saw Dylan standing there with his books and a brown paper bag in his hands._

_"Nothing worth paying for." she told him as he sat beside her and handed her the bag._

_"Here. I noticed you've been moping around this place for the past few weeks. Thought you could do with one of those weird sprout and avocado sandwiches you like." Dylan had noticed her mood the moment she stepped on campus two weeks ago. He'd decided to give her some space but nothing had changed and he knew he had to do something. _

_"Thanks..." she mumbled as she looked inside the bag. She really wasn't very hungry right now, but she appreciated the sentiment._

_"What are you doing staring at those goofs anyway?" Dylan asked as he watched the players get on like complete assholes with no brain._

_"I don't want to talk about it Dylan."_

_"Kel..."_

_"Don't pull the whole 'we have a pact thing' on me right now because I can guarantee I'm just going to get mad at you and I don't want to be mad at you Dylan."_

_Dylan held up his hands, deciding it was best to drop it. He followed Kelly's stare and saw that it was pointed directly at Ross Webber and his buddies. He watched as Ross looked up, winked at her, then quickly turned his attention to another girl. Before Dylan could question what that was all about, Kelly quickly gathered her stuff and rushed away, but not before one stray tear escaped her eye and fell onto her leg._

_"Kelly" Dylan said as he quickly went after her and pulled her back, only to find she was in floods of tears._

_"I can't- I can't even look at him Dylan, I'm so ashamed."_

_"What happened Kelly? Talk to me." he said as he held onto her arms tightly._

_"I don't know what I expected but I didn't expect that. I didn't expect him to treat me like a piece of trash!" Kelly spat out through her tears and Dylan pulled her to the side so nobody saw her and started gossiping._

_"Kelly... did Ross hurt you?"_

_"Only my pride and my self-esteem. He just pushed me on the ground Dylan. It was over in a minute and then he just got up and left me lying there. He didn't help me up, he didn't hand me back my clothes... he didn't even take his off. He treated me as a disposable sex object... and I can't believe I let that be my first sexual experience." Kelly confessed quietly._

_Kelly watched as Dylan's jaw tightened and the hand that wasn't resting on her shoulder balled into a fist._

_"That son of a bitch." he said in a low growling voice. How dare he treat a girl like that. How dare he treat his Kelly like that. Dylan's head snapped around to look at Ross as he laughed carelessly with his buddies. He began marching towards him ready to punch him out, but Kelly stopped him and quickly pulled him back._

_"Don't you dare Dylan."_

_"Somebody's got to Kel, he can't get away with this!"_

_"What good is hitting him going to do? He's over there bragging with his buddies about me and he always will be doing that and you'll just be the guy who lost his temper and got suspended. It's not going to change anything." Kelly insisted as Dylan let out a breath and realised she was right._

_"He's a damn fool Kelly."_

_"Maybe. But I just want to forget it ever happened." Kelly said as she ran a hand through her hair._

_"Kelly, listen to me." Dylan said as he rested his hands on her shoulders. "No matter what he or any other douche bag like him says—you are worth so much more you could ever imagine and you deserve to be treated like it. Promise me you'll always remember that."_

_Kelly was taken aback by Dylan's words. She had such a distrust of men, especially since her dad really did a number on her and her mom, so to hear a guy say such kind and careful words was unexpected. But then again, this was Dylan she was talking about. He'd gained a bit of a reputation for himself this year. He'd had his fair share of girls, he'd thrown his fair share of alcohol fused parties—but Kelly knew it was all a cover. She knew none of it was real and Dylan had the biggest heart._

_"I- I promise."_

_"Good. Let's get out of here"_

_"Where are we going?"_

_"It's Thursday, remember?"_

"He got so angry and was about to walk over to him in the quad and beat the crap out of Ross until I stopped him... part of me wishes I hadn't." Kelly confessed as she finished recounting the story. Every time she let herself think about what happened, she was always touched by what Dylan was willing to do for her.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you Kelly." Brenda said.

"It's ok Bren." Kelly replied.

They all fell into a moment of silence before Amanda spoke up. "Now that that's over... Brenda. I think it's your turn."

"Alright." Brenda said as they all turned to face her.

"What is the most completely outrageous thing you've ever done?" Donna asked as the others apart from Kelly smirked. She wasn't really in much of a laughing mood after her time in the hot seat.

Brenda smirked; "I went with a bunch of my friends last summer down to the lake. And a few of the guys decided to go skinny-dipping. They were just trying to get us to take off our bathing suits. So instead, we took theirs."

Amanda rolled her eyes; "How outrageous..." she replied sarcastically.

Brenda glowered; "Why don't you just _shut up_?"

Amanda smirked; "Did I hit a nerve?

"No. It's just that you've been acting like a total bitch since the minute you got here!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. So, is that it? No shameless secrets from your past?" Amanda pried further. She had a feeling that little miss Brenda maybe wasn't as perfect as she made out to be.

Brenda gulped; "Actually, maybe there is one. Back in Minneapolis, my best friend was Marjorie Miller. And she was going out with Jim Townsend, who I thought was really, really cute. So, once we were at this party, and Jim and I were alone, we were outside or something, and somehow, we started kissing. Of course, I liked it. And when Marjorie heard about it that night, she called me really late. It woke up the whole house, and she was crying, she was hysterical. She kept saying, "How could you do that to me, Brenda? "How could you do that?" And the part I hate to think about is that I know why I did it. I did it to break them up."

"Did you guys ever become friends again?" Kelly asked.

"Not like we were before."

Kelly looked down at her feet as if she had something to hide. Truth was, while she didn't try to stop anything happening between Brenda and Dylan, she did think about it. For a brief moment in time, she was_ jealous._ She was jealous that Dylan had found someone to confide in other than her. She was jealous that she was taking a back seat to his new relationship. She was riddled with insecurities and couldn't bare the thought of losing someone so special to her.

"Brenda, I have something to tell you." Kelly said, wanting to be completely honest with her friend.

"What is it?"

"When you and Dylan started going out, I got pretty jealous. I've known Dylan forever and he's always been a constant in my life. We were flirty friends and he was the one person I could tell anything to and I didn't want to lose what we had when he found someone better to talk to... so I thought about sabotaging what you guys had." Kelly said.

Brenda's eyes narrowed and pierced through Kelly's _"What?"_

"I was going to take advantage of this attraction we have but—I realised I was being stupid. All I want is for Dylan to have some normality and stability in his life and I realise you could give him that. I realised you could be _amazing_ for him and I didn't do anything." Kelly replied honestly. She pushed her unfair and selfish feelings to the side. All Dylan deserved was happiness and that's what he was right now—happy.

"Why are you telling me this?" Brenda questioned.

"Because I felt like a hypocrite listening to you talk about how you got between your friend and her boyfriend. I never want you to feel like I've done the same."

"Are you and Dylan really that close?" Brenda asked quietly, realising that this may be the perfect opportunity to get to the bottom of Kelly and Dylan's bond. She'd already learnt a lot tonight, but she knew there would probably be things she would never know and didn't have any right to know either.

"We're cut from the same cloth. We just _get_ each other. Our personalities couldn't be more opposite and our interests are snooze fests to each other but... it's easy to talk to each other about stuff. You'd be amazed how often our problems are the same. We've just always had this spark and I can't describe it. I doubt I ever will be able to. But I promise, there's nothing to be worried about Brenda." Kelly insisted.

Brenda stood and crossed her arms, "Well, I'm glad you have someone in your life like that... but not anymore."

Kelly stood up and crossed her arms in equal amounts of defiance. "Excuse me?"

"You really expected me to by ok with you putting the moves on my boyfriend?"

"Brenda, I already told you that I didn't do anything-"

"So, now I'm just supposed to watch my back in case you decide it's time to make a move? Until you decide you need to talk to someone and treat my boyfriend like he's your own?"

"_Hey_. Dylan and I were friends long before you came into town Brenda. I don't want to date him, but you can't tell me to stop being friends with him. You have no idea what we've been through. _No idea_." Kelly exclaimed as Brenda gulped, feeling the desperation and passion in her voice. If she didn't have Dylan in her life, she honestly didn't know where she might be. He saved her and she saved him right back.

"I think I got some idea tonight." Brenda responded quietly, realising her error. No matter what she did, no matter what she said—Kelly and Dylan would _always_ need each other. "What you went through was horrible and—I'm glad you had someone like Dylan looking out for you. I lost one best friend because of some stupid guy. I'm not going to lose two." Brenda insisted as she walked forward and hugged Kelly tightly, but making a mental note to never let her guard down on the issue again.

* * *

The following Monday, Kelly walked into school, still reeling from the confessions of the slumber party. It was a lot to dish out and it was a lot to take in, but she felt like they were better friends for it.

As she turned the corner, she spotted Dylan walking in her direction and he gave her a tight-lipped smile, completely oblivious to her dramatic weekend.

"Hey Kel" he greeted.

Kelly simply started at him for a moment before pulling him in for a tight hug. Dylan was taken a back from a brief moment before tightly hugging her back.

"Are you ok?" he asked quietly against her hair.

"Thank you" Kelly said with her eyes shut, just wanting to be in this moment and this moment alone.

"For what?" he said with a little laugh.

"Just-_ thank you._"


	5. The Scare and the Spring Queen

_Loved reading all of your reviews for the last chapter so thank you- keep them coming! _

_Hope you enjoy this chapter based on 1x18 and 1x21._

* * *

Chapter Five- The Scare and The Spring Queen

"Hey Taylor-" Dylan greeted as he rested his hand on Kelly's waist and she jumped out of her skin.

She put her hand to her chest and let out a breath; "God, _Dylan_. You scared the crap out of me!" she exclaimed, shoving him lightly.

"Wow, didn't mean to. Seems I've been making a habit of that today." Dylan confessed.

"What do you mean?"

"I made Brenda jump, that's all." he said with a shrug.

"Well Brenda's got a lot on her mind." Kelly said, testing the waters. She didn't know if Brenda had told Dylan what was going on or not, so she didn't want to land her friend in it.

"She told me Kel, there's no need to skirt around the issue." Dylan said as he looked at his feet.

"I'm glad she told you."

"Yeah... it all feels pretty surreal." He confessed. Truth was, he had no idea what to say about the fact that Brenda had a breast cancer scare. She had to get a biopsy on a lump done and he had no clue what the appropriate way to react was. Fortunately, he wasn't alone on that one.

"I know what you mean. I just don't know what to say Dylan. I want to make it better but I know I can't and I think I keep saying the wrong things..." Kelly rambled. "I don't know..." she finished with a shrug.

"I think we probably need to give ourselves a little more credit."

Kelly stopped walking and turned to look at him; "I know you Dylan, I know you'll be great with her."

"I don't know, I feel a little useless. Ever since she told me I've been trying as best I can to do and say the right thing but I don't really know what to do either. Brenda is pushing me away which doesn't help."

"She's scared. There's not a lot we can do about that. There's not a lot we can do about any of it." Kelly said, realising that was the bottom line in everything.

"Which sucks."

"It certainly does."

"Are you feeling ok? Brenda said you were all checking for lumps and stuff..." Dylan asked cautiously. As soon as Brenda had told him that, his mind immediately jumped to Kelly and wanting to know whether she was ok, but at the same time, he didn't want to freak her out by asking.

"I'm fine Dylan, don't worry about me." Kelly said with a soft smile. "It does remind you though that life is so fragile. You just never know what's around the corner."

"Yeah" Dylan said as he looked at Kelly. All of a sudden, he saw the scared little kid who found her mother passed out on the floor and thought she was dead. He saw the scared little kid who hit her head on the ground after she fell off the swing and smacked it open. There was a significant amount of blood and to a 6-year-old, it was the end of her world. Both those times, Dylan remembered feeling utterly terrified for her too. It's like he felt everything she felt- it had always been that way.

Dylan ran his hand down her arm. "That's why you've got to keep those you love close." he said quietly as Kelly nodded her head. They stood there for a moment before Dylan pulled her in for a hug and she buried herself in his chest, just for a moment of security.

* * *

Thankfully, everything was ok with Brenda. There was no cancer, no reason to be concerned which was a huge relief for everyone. It made Kelly realise how much she valued Brenda's friendship and it made Dylan realise just how much he cared about her. Things had been stepping up in their relationship. They felt more connected, more intimate and Dylan felt _safe_ with her. He felt secure, he felt that she was someone who would never disappoint him or let him down. They had plans to take things to the next level at the spring dance, plans that Kelly knew _all_ about—and partly wished she didn't.

She walked into the Peach Pit the Tuesday afternoon she was announced as one of the spring princesses, and was greeted by Dylan just as he was finishing his burger.

"Well if it isn't the Spring Princess"

Kelly smirked; "Soon to be Spring _Queen_." she boasted.

Dylan pursed his lips and pointed at her; "I like your confidence."

"Do you think it's misguided?"

"Not a chance. You're a shoe in" he encouraged brightly as Kelly chuckled.

"Thank you for your _unwavering_ support." she snarked.

"Kel, you know I've always got your back, even if it is over something as stupid as Spring Queen." This whole dance thing really wasn't his cup of tea, but it made Kelly happy and he wasn't about to take that away from her.

"Well, I promise to set aside a very special role for you in my royal court."

"And what might that be?"

"... you can wash my feet." she said with a smirk as Dylan playfully rolled his eyes.

"Ha, ha." he said as she took a seat beside him at the counter. "Despite your nomination, I did hear that you are in fact dateless for the dance."

"Yeah, it's a little sucky for a queen to be without a king."

"I'm surprised you haven't found a way to rectify that yet." Dylan knew there were countless guys who wanted a shot—or another shot—at being with Kelly Taylor. Even for just one night.

"Every cute guy in West Bev or Beverly I've either dated and never want to see again or is taken... all except one that is." Kelly said with a mischievous smirk.

"And who might that be?"

Kelly turned her head around and looked over at Brandon as he sorted some money out at the till.

Dylan raised his eyebrows; "_Brandon?_"

"Yep" Kelly said with a smile as she laughed lightly.

"I know that look." Dylan said as he sat up straighter and watched her face.

Kelly frowned; "What look?"

"You're going full Kelly Taylor to seal the deal with this one."

Whenever Kelly liked a boy, she always got this determined look in her eye. She had plenty of flirty tricks up her sleeve and she had mastered the art of the sweet or sexy smile to get what she wanted. On most occasions it worked like a charm. What Kelly Taylor wanted, Kelly Taylor got.

Kelly cocked an eyebrow and gave Dylan one of those sweet smiled; "you say that like it's a bad thing."

"Brandon's not like the others Kel."

Kelly nodded and looked at her hands, she knew Brandon wasn't like the others, that's why she liked him so much. That's why she was determined to win him over. She saw what Dylan had with Brenda. It was special and it was safe. He was like a whole new person with a new lease of life. Who's to say that she couldn't have the same the other Walsh twin?

"Neither is Brenda." Kelly replied. She didn't want to start preaching at him or talking to him like his mother, but she felt she might regret it if she didn't at least acknowledge she knew what they were planning. "Please be careful." she simply said.

Dylan nodded; "I will." he replied quietly. "You know, Sanders is going to throw a strop if Brandon says yes."

Kelly and Steve's relationship was something rarely spoken about between Dylan and Kelly. To Dylan, it was the strangest thing in the world. He could never quite grasp how Kelly would go for Steve. Though, in all honesty, Dylan was fairly convinced _nobody_ was good enough for Kelly. He remembered the day he found out they were dating quite well.

_"Hey Taylor" a 15-year-old Dylan called as he caught up with Kelly in the school quad. "What you doing this weekend? You want to go to Paradise Cove, sleep out under the stars?" he asked._

_"Oh i'd love to, but I can't" Kelly whined with a pout as they kept walking._

_"How come?"_

_"I uh... I have a date" she said, as she avoided all eye contact. She knew she'd have to tell Dylan about this eventually, but she wasn't prepared for how he might react. _

_"... a date?" Dylan questioned as they stopped walking and Kelly turned to look at him._

_"Yeah. A date. You know those things that a guy and a girl go on if they like each other and want to explore their feelings...?" she patronisingly teased._

_Dylan rolled his eyes, "Very funny..." he said as he poked her lightly in the stomach._

_Kelly giggled, "You're more of a fan of what comes after the date than the actual date so I thought you might be unfamiliar." she joked with a quirk of her eyebrow._

_Dylan smiled, "The after part is where the magic happens Kel." She would know that if she'd just give in to him- he thought._

_Kelly laughed and shook her head, "You're crazy."_

_Dylan shrugged, "I've been accused of worse. So... who's your date with?"_

_Kelly waved her hand and scrunched her nose, "Oh don't you worry your pretty little head McKay."_

_Dylan mockingly put his hand over his heart, "Aw, you think I'm pretty?"_

_Kelly shoved him, "Shut up..."_

_"Ok, ok, we can be serious for a few moments... so spill." he pressed._

_Kelly sighed. He was going to find out sooner or later and it was probably better coming from her than someone else. "It's uh.. it's with... Steve."_

_"Steve? Steve Sanders?" Dylan asked in disbelief. _

_"Yep"_

_"... why would you want to go on a date with Steve Sanders?" He asked with a grimace. _

_"Cause he's nice and fun and he thinks I'm nice and fun. What more could you want?"_

_"Oh I don't know, a bit of sense? The guy's a weasel Kel." _

_Kelly glared at him and crossed her arms, "You guys used to be really close." she reminded him._

_"Yeah, when we were kids. He may think he's Mr Bigshot now, but I have very fond memories of his mother tying a steak around his neck so the dog would come and play with him when no one else would." Dylan said as Kelly let out a little snigger. That story was as ridiculous as it was sad. _

_"I guess you were both loners then" Kelly challenged. Dylan couldn't exactly talk about having few friends. The difference between Dylan and Steve, however, was that Dylan chose not to have as many friends as possible, Steve would kill for popularity._

_"... whatever. I'm just surprised, that's all. I didn't realise you were into him." he said quietly, trying to seem as unbothered as possible. _

_"That's why we're going on this date Dylan" Kelly reminded him._

_"Right" he said with a shrug._

_Kelly gave him a lopsided smirk and took a step forward so he was towering over her. "You know, if I didn't know any better... I'd say you were jealous."_

_Dylan internally rolled his eyes at himself. So much for seeming unbothered. "Jealous? Of what?" he challenged._

_"Of me going on a date. With Steve." she said as she continued to smile, enjoying that she was pushing his buttons. He pushed hers plenty too, so it was power for the course. _

_"I am not jealous. I don't get jealous." Dylan made clear. _

_Kelly quirked an eyebrow, "Why are you so worked up then?"_

_Dylan sighed, quickly trying to formulate an answer. "Cause I just wanted to go to Paradise Cove with my friend."_

_Kelly stepped back and rested his hand on his arm, "I'm sorry. Another time though!" she said before skipping away from him. _

They didn't get to Paradise Cove like Kelly assured him. In fact, they hadn't been since they made their pact before high school started. Life just got ahead of them. After her date with Steve, things took off pretty fast and they became an established couple. It was something Dylan never really asked Kelly about. He didn't want to know the gory details of her popularity plea romance. But he was silently pleased when Kelly came to her senses and broke up with him... even if it meant she started making her way round the rest of the West Bev student body.

Kelly shrugged; "That is Steve's problem. Not mine." She responded, breaking Dylan out of his trance.

"Oo." Dylan said as he pursed his lips. "Ice queen."

Truth was, Kelly had gotten a little tired of Steve constantly pursuing her. No matter how many times she said no, he didn't get the picture. Whatever they had in freshman year needed to stay in freshman year. She didn't have the energy to care anymore.

"And proud" Kelly said as she wiggled her eyebrows and skipped to the other side of the counter to ask Brandon the all-important question.

* * *

Kelly had been hopeful that her night at the spring dance would be the best night all year. She had the guy, she had the dress, she was shoe-in for spring queen. What could possibly go wrong? Well—things started to go wrong pretty quickly for her. While she managed to win Spring Queen (the only highlight of the night) she ended up wearing the same dress as Brenda, she got into a huge fight with Steve and while she kissed Brandon, he rejected her and told her that she was like a sister to him. Of all the ways to reject her, that was one of the _lowest_ blows of all.

_"If we were perfect strangers Kelly, I'd probably be in love with you."_

She would be replaying that line over and over in her head for a while. She stood at the edge of the hall, crown on her head, yet feeling so very alone. Her two best friends had sealed the deal just before she was crowned queen and she had _nobody._ It wasn't a feeling so was used to.

"Hey Spring Queen" she heard a familiar voice say beside her. She turned her head and saw Dylan standing beside her with his hands in his pockets. "Want to dance?" he asked. "It's not a one-time offer though, it can wait."

Kelly smiled; "I'd rather wait. You probably shouldn't abandon your date after what just happened upstairs either..."

Dylan shifted awkwardly; "She already told you?" He kind of wanted to be the one to have that conversation with Kelly. She was his person after all, but he should have known better than to think Brenda wouldn't get there first.

"Oh yeah..." she said with a little laugh as Dylan awkwardly smiled and scratched the back of his neck. Sex had never been a taboo subject between them, but when it came to Brenda, it felt much more personal than it had ever been. "She seems happy." Kelly observed as they watched Brenda talk away with a bright smile on her face to the others.

"Yeah, she does... you, not so much." He observed. "I'm guessing tonight wasn't everything you'd hoped it would be." Between the dress debacle and the fact that she wasn't being swept off her feet by Brandon right about now led him to some correct conclusions.

"You could say that." she confirmed as they watched Steve, Brandon, Brenda, Andrea, Donna and even David Silver gather on the dance floor together. "But the night has the potential to end well." Kelly said as she smiled up at her friend.

"Agreed" he said as he nudged her slightly with his hip and grabbed her hand, "Come on Taylor." he said as he pulled her over to the rest of their friends to dance together for the rest of the night.


	6. Softened Hearts

_Hi everyone! Your reviews are the first thing I read in the morning and they're just the nicest way to start the day. Thank you to everyone who's showing an interest! So glad there are more DK fans out there! _

_Hope you enjoy this chapter!_

_Moments based on 2x01-2x06_

* * *

Chapter Six\- Softened Hearts

To say that the summer started off with a bang for the West Bev teens would have been a complete understatement. In particular, things started- and ended- with a bang between Dylan and Brenda. The big build up to finally losing her virginity came to a crashing halt for Brenda when she realised her period was late. It was a false alarm, but it was enough to put her off sex for the time being. Things had just gotten far too intense, and Dylan wasn't overly understanding. He acted like a typical guy, telling Brenda all she needed to do was go on the pill, which just upset Brenda more. It was like he didn't care at all how scared she was.

_"Dylan, you know I love you;" Kelly began as she prepared to scold him for his actions; "but you were such an idiot. Brenda starts having sex and she's immediately hit with a pregnancy scare? And you're standing here thinking about next time?"_

_"Guess I should have checked how she was feeling."_

_"Yeah, you should have."_

_"What would I do without you to keep me right Taylor?"_

_"Oh God knows..."_

Unfortunately, Dylan's lapse in judgement had proved too much and Brenda decided they needed to cool things off for a while. She was still so young and inexperienced and she felt like this was the last thing she should be doing right now.

Dylan thought he would relish in being single, but he took it harder than he thought. The one thing he was glad to be rid of was the judgements of Jim Walsh. The man drove him _nuts_ with his constant hovering and criticism. A big part of him, however, did think that Brenda was completely worth it.

To keep his mind off everything, he distracted himself the best way he knew how—surfing. He spent most of his days out there and that particular Wednesday afternoon he decided to go out, he was met by a pleasant surprise when he walked towards the club—Kelly sunbathing. He hadn't seen his friend since the infamous break up and was in all honesty nervous to talk to her. She'd probably tell him off for _something_ and he wasn't sure he was ready for that.

He rushed over to her and soon realised that her eyes were closed and she didn't know he was there. He smirked before dropped his board and shaking out his wet hair all over her causing her to jump up in a fright.

"Ah Taylor"

_"Dylan!"_ she exclaimed as she stood from her deck chair and shoved him. "You are _so_ annoying."

"I know" He said with a shrug as he lifted her towel and handed it to her.

"How were the waves?" she asked. She could never stay mad at him for long anyway.

"Ugly, flat, closed out. You know, I've been trying to get you on a surf board for years, could this summer be the one?"

Kelly sniggered as she pushed her sunglasses to her head; "I don't think so, I don't have any core strength."

"I don't know, you might surprise yourself."

"Well, if I ever get the sudden urge to catch a few waves, you'll be the first person I go to."

"I'll take it."

"So uh—how you doing anyway?" Kelly asked cautiously, not sure how Dylan was feeling about everything.

"Ok." he said with a shrug. "Henry's cool, let's me park my board here even though dad's not a member anymore." Dylan said, deflecting from what he knew Kelly was asking him.

"Yeah, Henry is cool." Kelly agreed, realising that she just needed to get straight to the point. "Listen, I'm sorry about you and Brenda."

Dylan shrugged; "It's cool Kel. Things happen. I'm sure good old Jim Walsh is flying high right about now."

Kelly laughed; she knew all about Jim's feelings towards Dylan. In her (slightly bias) opinion, they were completely misguided concerns. Dylan treated Brenda exceptionally well. "I'd say so. I gotta go but I'll be back this evening if you want to do something?"

"Ah, don't be setting aside any time out of your busy schedule for me Kel."

Kelly lifted her back and swung it over her shoulder before lightly touching his arm; "You know I always would. Bye."

"See you."

Dylan watched Kelly as she walked away. How was it that a 2-minute conversation with her could instantly make him feel better?

* * *

Unfortunately, any plans Dylan and Kelly may have had that evening were postponed when a huge storm hit Beverly Hills. Worse yet, a huge storm had hit Dylan's life. Jack McKay had been indicted on income tax evasion and Dylan was left with _nothing_. More importantly, he was left with a lot of anger. He took off when he heard the news and nobody could find him. Brenda and Brandon had tried everywhere, but there was no sign of him. Eventually, they managed to get through to Kelly who threw a bunch of ideas their way, but it was no luck. Especially in the storm, the figured they wouldn't find him.

The following afternoon, they finally got word of him, but it wasn't good news. In the middle of his anger, Dylan decided it would be a good idea to go surfing in some dangerous waters and was injured because of the storm. He was taken to hospital and treated, but there was no way he could look after himself for the time being. Fortunately for him, the Walshes were generous people- despite the break up- and insisted that Dylan stay with them.

He lay on the sofa a day after being released from hospital, flicking through the TV channels when he heard the front door open and some angry feet stomp towards him. He looked up when he saw a pair of pale legs standing in front of him and saw an unimpressed looking Kelly standing there.

"You are a world class_ idiot._" she said.

Dylan rolled his eyes; "You have been calling me that a lot lately, but you can save the lecture this time."

"I won't be saving anything." Kelly said as she sat on the edge of the sofa by his torso. "What were you _thinking_ Dylan?"

"Aw, were you worried about me Taylor?" he teased as he played with the hem of her skirt.

"Now is not the time for you to do that _thing_." she warned.

Dylan frowned, "What _thing_?"

"That stupid lopsided smirk that you do that gets you _whatever_ you want. I'm _immune_ to it now, it's _not_ going to work." Kelly said defiantly as Dylan chuckled.

"Alright, alright... I was mad Kel. I guess the storm was madder." Dylan simply explained.

"Yeah I guess so. I'm sorry about your dad." she said quietly.

"Oh there's nothing to be sorry for, we always knew he was a world class jerk." Dylan insisted.

"Maybe, but he's still your father. It's bound to hurt."

"It's strange, I didn't think I could get even more alone that I already am. Yet here I am." Dylan said quietly as he shifted uncomfortably where he lay.

"You're not alone. You are _never_ alone." she said immediately. "What is strange though is that the _Walshes_ are nursing you better." Kelly said as she scrunched up her face a little.

Dylan scoffed; "Who would have thought?"

"If it gets too weird you can always come to mine." Kelly offered.

"Nah, I prefer Cindy's cooking to Jackie's" he teased.

Kelly laughed; "I can't even argue with that... are you sure this is a good idea Dylan?" things were pretty fragile between him and Brenda right now. What good could possibly come of this?

"I don't really have much of a choice Kel. I can't move and I need to eat and rest. They offered, I accepted."

"This is Brenda's house Dylan and Jim's not exactly your biggest fan."

"He'll get over it" Dylan said with an eyeroll. Jim Walsh was the_ least_ of his problems right now. "But thank you for your concern." he said with a wink.

"Oh, what kind of friend would be if I didn't show any?" she said returning his smirk.

"Give me a hug" he said almost seductively as Kelly bent down and hugged him- not too tightly of course.

"I'm glad you're ok." she said as she sat back up.

"When are you heading to New York?"

"Tomorrow. Don't miss me too much." she said as she fluttered her eyelashes.

"Oh I sense with the amount of time you're going to spend bothering me today, that won't be a problem..."

"_Watch it_ _McKay_" she said as she lightly nudged him.

"Well while you're having a great time in the big apple, I'll be thinking of a variety of excuses to tell Jim as to why it is a terrible idea to go and make peace with my mother..."

"Your _mother?_ Damn. Seems a little unnecessary to open up another wound after everything that's going on with your dad." Kelly said. She didn't know much about Iris McKay—neither did Dylan—she took off when he was 6 years old and he'd barely heard from her since and maybe only seen her a handful of times. The last time Kelly could remember seeing her was when they were 13 years old and she and Dylan interrupted a pretty intense fight she was having with Jack. She knew enough to know that Iris was a fiery soul who you wouldn't want to cross.

"That's good, I'm going to write that down." he said as he lifted a pen and paper.

"Though, she is into all that hippie stuff. Maybe she'll be all for peace." Kelly suggested, knowing that Iris was a little cuckoo by their standards.

"Kelly, you know Iris about as well as I do, which is a problem, considering she's supposed to be _my_ mother. She's thrown money at me my whole life and called that love, forgive me for not being interested in crawling to her for some parenting."

Kelly sighed. At first she was alarmed by the idea of Dylan and Iris reconnecting but the more she thought about it, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all. It also maybe wasn't a bad idea to do something to get Jim off his back. "I know it's probably the last thing you want to do Dylan, but maybe you should just swallow your pride, go get what you need and be done with it."

"You mean... _appease_ Jim." Dylan said as he scrunched up his face. He was the _last_ man Dylan wanted to appease right now. Then again, it might get him to back off.

"You've got to pick your battles Dylan. Plus, your mom lives in Hawaii, right? You could treat it as a mini vacation. God knows you need one." Kelly said with a little laugh.

"Tell me about it..."

"And Dylan- if you do need any cash-" Kelly offered cautiously, knowing Dylan would probably resent her offer.

"I'm not a charity case Kel."

"I know. Just think of me as a loan shark." she joked.

Dylan sniggered; "Well then I definitely don't want your cash, I'd be paying you back for the rest of my life at your interest rates."

"Ah, you know me too well!" she said as they both laughed.

They heard a throat clear at the door way and looked round to see Brenda standing there sheepishly.

"Sorry Kel, but Dylan needs to rest."

Kelly's face fell as she slowly stood up; "Right... I should get home and pack anyway. Glad to see you're doing better McKay. Let me know what you decide to do about-"

"Yeah, I will Taylor, thanks. Have fun in New York."

"I'll try... see you Bren." Kelly said as she quickly left the house, not liking the death glares Brenda was sending her way. _What was it about Kelly that always cheered Dylan up?_ Brenda had wondered. He always seemed so down when he was with her and she didn't know how to rectify it.

* * *

A few weeks later, Kelly had returned from New York and was ready to enjoy the last two weeks of summer with her friends. They had planned a party down at the beach club, Kelly was even more excited about the evening when she heard that Dylan had returned from Hawaii. She was glad in the end that he decided to go and see his mother. Though he would never admit it, he needed a parent in his life.

As she got herself a drink that evening, her heart jumped a beat when she heard a smooth voice behind her say "Aloha Miss Taylor." Boy had she missed hearing his voice the past couple of weeks. It always put her at ease because she associated it with trust.

She turned around and smiled widely at her friend; "Aloha Mr. McKay" she greeted happily.

"For you" he said as he held up an Hawaiian lei, filled with beautiful white and yellow hibiscuses.

"Oh thank you, it's beautiful" she said as he put it around her neck. "Did you have an ok time?"

"Yeah, it was ok... Iris came back to Beverly Hills with me."

"Wow, that's a huge step."

"Yeah, it's something alright..."

Kelly could easily sense his hesitation at the thought of having his mother here. "You still not sure about it?"

"She hasn't been in my life in 10 years. A lot has changed since then, I'm not a kid anymore. I've lived like a free adult for so long, I don't think I'm going to enjoy being given rules and regulations." he confessed. "Plus... why would I want someone who abandoned me in my life?" he said quietly as Kelly could hear the pain in his voice.

"She's trying now. Surely that counts for something?" Kelly suggested. "All I know is that I would give anything to have my dad be a stable part of my life. No matter how _sucky_ he has been as a dad to me." Kelly stared over at Mel and David Silver who were sitting at a table on the deck.

"Why are you staring at Silver?" Dylan asked after he followed her eye line.

"Well, in our absence my mother decided that she should start dating _David Silver's father_ of all people." Kelly said with an eye roll.

"Damn..." Dylan said as they both watched Jackie approach Mel.

Kelly shivered and turned away from them; "_Ugh_, could you honestly imagine having David Silver as a step brother?"

"Well, he wouldn't hit on you anymore." Dylan said, trying to find the silver lining for her.

"I wouldn't put it past him. All his little friends will probably riffle through my things and my underwear and be super creepy-"

"Kel."

"Sorry moral compass, I'll try and be nice" she said as she pushed him.

"Your mom's been married what? 4 times? I'm sure nothing will come of this one."

"I don't know..." Kelly sighed as she briefly glanced over at them again. She still wasn't ecstatic about the whole thing, but she was softening towards it. "We went out for dinner the other night and I tried to pull the evil step daughter act to put him off but it didn't go so well. I made a complete fool of myself and in all honesty—Mel is a nice man and David—we have more in common than I thought." Kelly finally confessed. She's put on a show for everyone else about how horrible this whole thing was but she knew she didn't have to do that with Dylan. She knew she could be a little more honest with him about it all. She still wasn't entirely on board with the whole thing, but maybe she had overreacted.

"Oh, so somebody broke through the ice queen..." Dylan said with a smirk, knowing how easy it was for Kelly to pretend like she didn't care about anyone and anything, but reality told a whole other story.

"I guess he did, yeah."

"Come on, we need something to eat..." he said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and dragged her straight to the buffet table.


	7. Accountability and Thankfulness

_Hi everyone! Thank you once again for your reviews, they were great to read. I'm trying to leave 24 hours between each instalment, just so people have a chance to read the previous one etc. but let me know if you need a longer gap. I have a lot of this story written, just requires a bit of editing, and I can tell you there is plenty more to come... so stay tuned!_

_I really enjoyed writing this chapter. A twist on Dylan dealing with Iris' first appearance in Beverly Hills, so let the drama commence..._

_Based on 2x07 and 2x10_

* * *

Chapter Seven- Accountability and Thankfulness

The weekend before school started up again, the gang decided to head to Yosemite Valley for the weekend. They were incredibly excited for the trip and Brandon had even managed to convince Dylan to tag along. He wasn't going to because Iris was around, but then she decided to take off for the weekend so Dylan figured why not? It didn't take long for him to regret it, however. While there, they ran into a newly wed couple who seemed completely smitten with one another, but things turned sour over the wife being pregnant and the husband saying he didn't want children. Their situation really hit a nerve with Dylan. He often resented his parents for getting married and having him when they couldn't love him like they should have.

Kelly could see the light drain from Dylan's eyes as they talked about it. He hadn't really said anything to Kelly about Iris being around, but she could tell he was having a difficult time with it. It had been a long time since anyone had tried to parent him and he had become accustomed to doing things his own way and in his own time. Anyone who tried to tell him otherwise was a hindrance to him, no matter how well intentioned they may have been.

When Dylan stormed away from the group, Kelly had been quick to go after him and make sure he didn't do anything stupid (not that there was much he could do in the middle of nowhere.)

"Mind if I join you?" she asked quietly when she found him in the married couple's lodgings rifling through the fridge.

"I don't know why you'd want to." he grumbled in response as he closed the fridge door and sat on the bed.

"Because even when you're being sir grumps-a-lot, I like your company." she said as she sat beside him. "What's the matter?"

"I'm just not into psycho drama." he replied. _Who was?_ Thought Kelly. Listening to his couple fight was _horrible_.

"I get it. How awful to fight on your wedding night, huh?"

"Serves them right for getting married in the first place."

Kelly sighed, finally starting to get to the root of Dylan's problem. "Just because your parents or my parents didn't make it together doesn't mean every couple is _doomed."_

"Yeah, whatever you say."

"Dylan, I know you're having a hard time-"

"My mom is a looney tune and my dad is in jail, I'd say that was a little more than a hard time!" Dylan snapped. He had _nobody_. He didn't have good parents, he didn't have Brenda—what was left for him?

"I know that Dylan-"

Dylan quickly stood from where he was sitting and paced lightly; "Yeah, you do Kel, so why are you getting down on me about my negative attitude? You know _exactly_ what it's like to have terrible parents."

"Yeah, I know what it's like." Kelly said as she stood up, crossed her arms and raised her voice to match his. "We got bum deals in the parent department Dylan, but I can look around see all the good in my life and you should too!"

"Like what?" Dylan asked, not believing for one second that she could come up with anything worthwhile.

"Your friends. Brandon loves you, all the guys think you're totally cool, every girl I know would love to go out with you-"

"You included?" he challenged.

Kelly put her hands on her hips and smirked; "Well, you did say you were going to marry me one day." she reminded him.

Dylan frowned again; "Well, I've wised up since then."

"About me or marriage?" she asked.

Dylan simply looked at Kelly. If someone told him that he would one day marry Kelly Taylor he would believe it in a heartbeat and not question it for a second.

"You know the answer to that." he simply replied, not wanting to make life any more complicated for them right now.

Kelly walked towards Dylan and placed her hands on his neck to get him to focus on her and make sure he took this in. "Dylan, you are like family to me. Hell, we're probably more active in each other's lives than our blood relatives are. So, if you ever claim to have nothing and nobody—I'm going to be _really_ mad." she teased as Dylan let out a little laugh which caused Kelly to smile. "You can always expect something from me Dylan. You can always expect me to turn up and that is a _promise_." Kelly said with certainty as Dylan stared at her, his heart jumping a beat at her unwavering assurance and belief that he was worth her time.

"What did I do to deserve you?" he asked in a whisper as Kelly looked taken aback by his words. Before she could even think of a reply, the front door opened and Allison and Neil walked back in with smiles on their faces.

"Hey guys, we're back!" Neil announced as Kelly and Dylan moved away from each other slightly.

"And still married!" Allison happily added

"So, you figured everything out?" Kelly questioned.

"Yeah, we both feel—now stop me if I'm wrong honey—that even though we didn't plan on having children, we've got nine months for the idea to grow on us so to speak." Neil explained as Dylan's eyes darkened.

"I'm already getting used to it. Hopefully by then Neil will be too."

"What if he isn't?" Dylan challenged. This seemed like a little bit of a gamble. This was a little kid's life they were talking about, how was it fair to bring them into a world they weren't wanted in?

Neil shrugged; "I probably will be."

"But you don't know _Neil_." Dylan said raising his voice.

Neil stiffened his posture; "Well then it will just be our problem, won't it?"

"No, then it will be that kid's problem, who didn't ask to be born in the first place."

"Dylan-" Kelly began to protest, trying to stop him before he really lost his temper, but he wasn't paying any attention to her.

"Dylan, nobody asked to be born." Neil reasoned.

"That's right, so you better make sure you want this baby or give it to somebody who does."

"You're making a lot of assumptions for somebody who doesn't even know us!" Neil pointed out.

"I know what it's like to grow up and be constantly reminded that you were a mistake. If you're not prepared to love that baby or give it up, you might as well have an abortion right now."

"Dylan, that's _enough_." Kelly said firmly, putting a stop to this once and for all.

Dylan took a breath before holding his hands up. "_Fine_." he spat before storming out of the cabin and into the night.

This time, Kelly didn't go after him. He was a big boy and she figured he probably needed some space and a minute to cool down.

* * *

The following afternoon, Kelly had discovered from Brandon that Dylan didn't have such a good night. Dylan had had a few airline bottles of booze and he wasn't doing so good right now. He kept saying that he should stop expecting anything from people and learn to only rely on himself. Brandon wasn't going to say anything, but he needed advice from Kelly on how to deal with this. She'd dealt with it before. She was the one who had fought to get him sober in the first place. She was there the summer of freshman year when he poured all the alcohol he could find in the suite down the drain. She went to countless AA meetings with him, she dragged him away from countless bars when he was tempted to go in. She was the one who gave him faith in others to be there for the people they loved. She always showed up for him and Brandon knew she would now. He also knew that the last thing Dylan ever wanted to do was let Kelly down.

Kelly didn't really know what to say when Brandon told her what happened. She felt guilty that she didn't go after him the night before but she also knew that Dylan would be feeling guilty about what he did. So she just told Brandon that they should be thankful that he's ok and it wasn't more than a few airline bottles. They should also encourage him and make him realise that he woke up today and didn't want to run to a bar and get black out drunk. He was trying to fight his demons. Brandon agreed and thanked Kelly for her positive outlook.

However, the more Kelly thought about it, the more frustrated she became. Not at Dylan, but the people in his life that were constantly letting him down. Who constantly made him feel like he wasn't worth their time. Hell, she was even frustrated at _Brenda_ at this point for pushing him away, even if she was just looking out for herself. She really did a number on Dylan too.

After a scary trek through the rocks that resulted in Dylan having to pull Brandon up from the face of a rock after he nearly fell to his death, Dylan really felt Kelly's words to him the previous evening hit home. He had a lot of crap in his life, but he should look for the good too. He had a friend like Brandon who had came into his world and flipped it upside down. He knew it would seriously mess him up if he lost him today. He also had Donna and Steve and no matter how awkward their relationship was right now, he had Brenda too.

He also had Kelly. He'd _always_ had Kelly and he wasn't sure he'd ever really taken the time to thank her for what she constantly did for him. As the others packed up the van to head home, Dylan pulled Kelly to the side to talk to her.

"Hey, you ok?" Kelly asked as she ran her fingers over a cut on the side of his face from their near brush with death.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, I just—I wanted to say thank you."

"There's nothing to thank me for." Kelly said with a little smile.

"There are many things to thank you for but uh—mainly that you reminded me that I have a family." he said as he looked back over at the friends who had become so much more than friends to him over the past year. "Just not a conventional one."

"We are a bit of a dysfunctional bunch, aren't we?" she said with a little laugh.

"Yeah, but I don't think I would have it any other way."

* * *

A few weeks later, things were starting to look up for Dylan again. His mother was still around and still getting on his nerves, which he was surprisingly thankful for (most of the time anyway) and he and Brenda had worked things out and decided to give their relationship another shot. They realised that the bond they had was too important to throw away over a bit of intensity and volatility.

Brenda was a little frustrated about one thing though—she still hadn't met Dylan's mother. She knew Dylan was deliberately keeping her away from Iris, but it didn't change the fact that she was desperate to meet the woman who Dylan came from.

"Dylan your mother has been here for three weeks now, am I ever going to meet her?" Brenda asked one day in the quad as she sat with Dylan, Kelly, Donna and Steve.

"Trust me, you do not want to meet this woman..." Dylan assured her.

"Oh come on, she can't be _that_ weird..."

"Kel?" Dylan asked, looking to the only person who had met his mother and could back up his claims. Kelly vaguely remembered Iris from when they were little kids and there was also the accidental meeting when they were 13. Although it was a brief meeting, she could clearly see what Dylan meant about her being a little weird.

"She's quirky, a little eccentric..." Kelly agreed, not wanting to be rude about Iris, but she wasn't about to lie either.

"You've met her?" Brenda questioned, feeling a little sting in her chest at yet another thing Dylan had shared with Kelly and not her. "How come Kelly has met her?"

"I think the last time I saw her were about 13. Don't worry about it, Bren." Kelly assured her.

_Don't worry about it, Bren—she'd heard that one before._

Unfortunately for Dylan, keeping Brenda away from Iris wasn't going to be as easy as he thought—especially when she showed up at the Walsh house that afternoon. Dylan didn't know why it bugged him so much but it did. He was desperate to keep the two women separate. He didn't want Iris interfering in a good thing in his life. He knew she would try and he knew it would send him over the edge.

And something really did hit a nerve when he saw the Walshes and Iris getting along so well. Who were they to think that she was great? They didn't know her. Hell, Dylan barely knew her and now she was charming her way into his life. It was enough to send Dylan into turmoil—and back to the bottle. This time it was a little more than a few airline bottles of booze.

When Kelly heard what was going on, she wasn't sure how she should react. She knew Brenda was going to come running to her to try and get her to fix things, but she thought even this might be beyond her control. Then, she remembered what Dylan had said to her about her mother's sobriety. She needed to let Jackie hit rock bottom. Maybe that was what Dylan needed this time. He needed some tough love.

"Kelly, you have to talk to him, he trusts you!" Brenda pleaded with Kelly in school that morning.

"Brenda, _no_."

Brenda glared straight at the back of Kelly's head as she continued to walk; "Don't you care about him?" she asked.

Kelly stopped and snapped her head round; "Of course I care about him Brenda but—whenever I tried to help my mother, things just got worse. As long as I was there, she knew she could keep drinking and I would pick up the pieces. You _have_ to let him hit rock bottom... and that's advice Dylan himself gave me. We can love him Bren, but we can't save him."

"I'm not asking you to save him. I'm asking you to_ be there_ for him." Brenda said defiantly, not sure how she felt about Kelly's approach at all.

"It's called tough love Bren. That's not abandoning someone, it's giving them a reality check. This isn't something you can just hug and kiss better. Trust me."

* * *

That night, Kelly arrived at the Peach Pit and saw Dylan and Brenda sitting in a stony silence in the corner. She clearly diverted her eyes away in the hopes they wouldn't call her over to sit in stony silence with them. She perched herself on the counter and Nat came over and poured her a cup of coffee.

"Hi Kelly"

"Hi Nat, how's is going?"

"Alright, but uh—what's going on with Dylan?" Nat asked. Clearly Kelly wasn't the only one to pick up on his bad mood. "He doesn't look so good. Is it Brenda again?"

"No, I think it's his mother. She really did a number on him years ago and now she's back."

Nat frowned; "He's got a _mother_?"

Kelly sniggered; "Yeah. Not your average kind, but a mother none the less." she said as she gave him a tight lip smiled, took a breath and walked over to Brenda and Dylan.

"Hey" she greeted as she stood behind them.

"Hi Kel." Brenda said with hopeful eyes. If anyone was going to put Dylan in a better mood, it was Kelly.

"How are you Dylan?" she asked as she put her hands in her pockets.

"I'm fine." he answered aggressively, which Kelly wasn't about to let slide.

"That attitude might work with others but it certainly doesn't work with me Dylan." she said through her teeth.

"I'm really not in the mood for the tough love thing today Kel, so give it a rest." Dylan bit back.

"_Fine._ I tried." Kelly said to Brenda, before lifting her purse and walking out. Brenda may have been prepared to sit around and let Dylan screw up his life but Kelly certainly didn't have to watch.

* * *

That night, Kelly was about to turn her light off and go to sleep when the phone rang. She let out an almighty sigh and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me." Brenda said down the line.

"Hi Bren, what's up?"

"Dylan just showed up at my house drunk. I threw him out... was I wrong?" she asked desperately.

Kelly rubbed her forehead and sighed; "No. You did the right thing." Clearly Brenda was starting to get the memo about tough love. Kelly also was in no mood to coach Brenda through her relationship woes. Sometimes, Brenda just couldn't understand Dylan and what he needed no matter how hard he tried.

"He's been clean for so long."

Kelly froze. Guess it was time to come clean about what she knew. "... not exactly."

"What do you mean?"

"On the camping trip, he had a couple of airline bottles of booze."

Brenda glared down the line; "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"You were barely talking to each other Brenda and Brandon handled it, neither of us wanted to make a big deal out of it-"

"You should have told me, it _is_ a big deal. He's a recovering alcoholic!"

"I'm aware of that Brenda, _thank you_." Kelly said bitterly. She hated it when Brenda spoke to her about Dylan as if she had no clue about his life. She knew his life better than Brenda Walsh ever could.

"It's his mother's fault, she's driving him crazy." Brenda said, looking for any excuse she could.

Kelly knew Iris was driving Dylan crazy. She always had. But that wasn't really the problem here. The problem was trust. He felt he couldn't trust anybody and it made him mad. He didn't know how to deal with these emotions, nobody was ever there to teach him, so he drunk himself into a stooper.

"You think Iris is driving him to drink? Hate to break it to you Bren, but life is a little more complicated than that. You don't exactly go out and get drunk every time you have a fight with your parents." Kelly reasoned.

"He was _fine _until she got here."

_Fine?_ She would really call what Dylan was _fine?_ Kelly thought it best not to argue that particular point—for now. "Maybe. But she's not the one pouring booze down his throat."

Before Brenda could fight further, Kelly heard a noise at her window. Like it was being hit with something.

"Bren, hold on." she said as she put the phone down and pulled back her curtains. She couldn't quite believe her eyes when she saw Dylan standing on the lawn throwing stones at her window. He motioned for her to open the door and she reluctantly nodded.

"Brenda, I've gotta go."

"What's the matter?"

"Just a mess I need to clean up." she said cryptically. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Kelly hung up the phone and made her way downstairs to let a clearly drunk Dylan in. Thank God Jackie was at Mel's tonight otherwise this might have thrown her into a frenzy.

"What the hell are you doing Dylan? Are you trying to break my window?" Kelly demanded to know as soon as he walked through the door.

"I didn't want to wake your mom."

Kelly crossed her arms over her chest, "She's not here."

Dylan smirked; "Good, we can be as loud as we want." Dylan started looking and fiddling with things all around him as Kelly narrowed her eyes.

"If you're looking for booze you've come to the wrong house, remember?"

"I'm not looking for booze." Dylan said with an eye roll. He just wanted to see her, that was all, though he wasn't about to admit that. "I'm guessing Brenda has already been on the phone." he observed.

Kelly ignored him and took a few steps towards him; "What are you doing Dylan? You really think feeling sorry for yourself and downing some scotch is going to make all your problems disappear?"

"I didn't come here for a lecture."

"Then what did you come here for? Sympathy? Again, you're at the wrong house!" Kelly shouted.

"What happened to always having my back, huh?!" Dylan shouted back.

"I _do_ have your back Dylan, and that means giving you a little bit of tough love! I'm not going to sit around and watch you throw your life away over something you've worked _so_ _hard_ to fight. A couple of airline bottles of booze is one thing but this is too far. Brenda may be willing to hug and kiss you better, but I'm not!" Kelly fought back. She was standing her ground on this one, no matter what Dylan said or did to try and get her to soften.

"Kel-" Dylan said with a gulp, starting to realise that he was royally screwing things up.

"You told me when my mother was a mess that she needed to hit rock bottom before she was willing to get better. So, I'm going to apply your own logic to you. _Sober up_ or you're going to have _no one_ left." Kelly said firmly as Dylan nodded and swiftly left the house.

* * *

"Morning all." Dylan greeted as he approached Kelly and Brenda in the hallway at school the following morning.

"Oh you decided to come to school today, to what do we owe the honour?" Kelly taunted as Dylan glared at her.

"Dylan, you've been drinking." Brenda accurately observed. It appeared that despite his talk with Kelly last night, Dylan still hadn't hit rock bottom quite yet.

"Would I come to school drunk?" he questioned with one of his charming smirks.

"You smell like a brewery Dylan, you need to go." Kelly warned. The last thing he needed was to be kicked out of school.

"I'm fine, besides, I have that trig test."

Kelly rolled her eyes; "Yeah, I'm sure you'll ace that one."

Dylan snapped his head around; "_Shut up Kelly_."

Kelly slammed her locker shut; "You know Dylan, there's one thing worse than a drunk and that's a mean drunk."

"You know, I have the sudden urge to leave so—send trig my regards." he said before turning around and storming off.

"Dylan!" Brenda called after him, but he wasn't listening.

Kelly sighed before making a decision she knew she could regret, but what else was she supposed to do. She ditched her books and lifted her bag; "I can't believe I'm getting sucked into this." she said as she started to go after him.

"I thought you said he needed to hit rock bottom?" Brenda questioned.

"Yeah. I think he might be there." Kelly said as she quickly bolted out of the door.

She soon found Dylan trying to put the keys into his car, and just as he was about to, Kelly snatched the keys from his hand.

"You're_ not_ driving."

Dylan groaned, "Give it up Kel."

"Anywhere you want to go, I will take you. I don't particularly want to scrape you off a telephone pole today."

Dylan looked up at her, "Anywhere?"

"Anywhere." she confirmed.

"What about trig?"

Kelly sighed; "Some things are a little more important than trig."

Dylan nodded, softening a little bit over how much Kelly seemed to care. "I thought you were going to let me hit rock bottom?"

"I am. I just don't think you should be alone when you do."

Dylan asked Kelly to drive him to the pool hall where he had been hanging out the past couple of nights. He had swindled some guy out of his money and was determined to get some more from him. However, things hadn't gone quite to plan. The beer started to get to Dylan's head and he managed to lose all he had won and more. But he didn't care. He was determined to forget where he was and why he even came there in the first place and all Kelly could do was watch as she desperately tried to think of a way to get them out of this sleezy hall.

While all this was going on, Iris had arrived at the Walsh house in search of Dylan—and some answers on what her son had been doing for the past week.

"Brenda... has Dylan been drinking?" Cindy asked cautiously, having already sent Brandon out to look for him.

"Yes. But Kelly made sure he didn't drive." Brenda quickly added in, trying to worry them.

"Well maybe Kelly should have made sure he didn't drink at all!" Iris snapped.

Brenda glared straight at Iris; "Where do you get off criticizing Kelly? She has been there for Dylan his whole life which is a lot more than I can say for you!"

_"Brenda!"_ Cindy scolded.

"I'm sorry mom, but it's _true_!"

They all stood in silence for a moment before Iris spoke. "He's with Kelly?" she asked quietly. She remembered Kelly from years ago and Dylan had spoken about her over the past couple of weeks. He seemed very fond of her. Like he truly trusted her. But what could she possibly do for Dylan? She was a child herself.

"Yes. He is with Kelly and she is _furious_ with him so she will keep him in line."

"What is some little girl going to do for my son?" Iris challenged.

"You clearly don't know Kelly Taylor very well."

Despite Kelly's best efforts, there wasn't anything she could do to stop Dylan from losing all the money he did. Worse yet, he lost money he didn't even have, so a bunch of men held Kelly back while they beat the crap out of Dylan in the back alleyway as a warning. She screamed and pleaded with them to stop, but it was no use. When they were finished, they threw Kelly to the ground causing her to bruise and cut her chin. They warned Dylan to bring the cash tomorrow and then left them there.

Kelly scrambled towards him and tried to lift him up. "Dylan. Come on, get up, we gotta go."

"You shouldn't have come here Kel" Dylan said as he groaned and spat out some blood.

"Neither should _you_." she snapped back, just as Brandon ran over, finally having tracked them down.

"Kelly, Dylan, I have been looking everywhere for you."

"Brandon get us out of here." Kelly pleaded as they helped Dylan up and got him into the car.

* * *

Dylan felt _horrible_. He was bruised, hung over and most of all—guilty. His physical pain paled in comparison to how he felt about what he put Kelly through last night, especially when all she wanted to do was help him. He figured she probably wouldn't want to talk to him for a while, and he knew it was best not to push the issue.

That morning at breakfast, Iris told Dylan that she was leaving. He had learned to take care of himself a long time ago and she was only getting in the way. She did leave him with an impressive parting gift, however. When Iris and Jack got a divorce, Jack paid Iris millions of dollars to leave and not come back. She left and took the money- but she never spent a penny of it. She kept it for Dylan and now she wanted him to have it. She set up a trust that Jim Walsh was in charge of and Dylan would get a cheque from every money to pay for living expenses. He couldn't quite believe his luck. He knew he probably didn't deserve this, but Iris did one unselfish thing as a mother and there was no saying no. Maybe things were finally starting to look up for him.

As Dylan drove his mother to the airport, she asked if they could stop at the Walsh house so she could say goodbye. When Iris walked into the house, she was surprised to see Kelly sitting in the living room with Brenda and Cindy.

"Kelly. It's been a long time."

"Hi Iris" Kelly said sheepishly. She figured Iris would probably be mad at her about yesterday, but she seemed surprisingly calm. They all sat in a moment of silence before Kelly broke it again; "Is Dylan here?" she asked.

"He's just outside. Kelly—thank you for looking after him. And I'm sorry about your chin." Iris told her as Kelly ran her finger over her bruise and cut.

"Oh it's fine. Excuse me" Kelly said as she walked towards the door.

"Kelly, wait" Brenda said as she followed her into the hall. "I just wanted to say thank you. For being there for Dylan. You were a lot braver than I was and you definitely don't get enough credit for it."

Kelly shook her head; "I wasn't brave Brenda. I ended up in a pretty scary situation because I couldn't watch someone who means the world to me throw his life away. I was all talk but reality told another story. But I am glad it was me there and not you. I've seen this before, I've handled it before... if you can avoid it, you should."

Brenda simply nodded her head at Kelly's words as she opened the door and went outside. She spotted Dylan sitting on the top of his car seat, twiddling his fingers. She cautiously walked over to him. He quickly glanced up at her and then looked straight back down again.

"I'm surprised you even want to talk to me right now." he said quietly.

"We made a deal. We're always there for each other. No matter what. I'm not about to break that."

"You probably _should_ break that. I've given you more than enough reason to."

"Well, I'm not going to." Kelly affirmed.

Dylan finally looked up again and looked at her chin. He ran his thumb over it wishing that he could make it disappear.

"I'm so sorry Kelly. I don't think I could ever say that enough."

"You're forgiven." She assured him as he dropped his hand and held on to hers.

"Thanks for not giving up on me."

"I never will." she said as she gave his hand a light squeeze. "Is your mom really leaving?"

"Yeah... I couldn't put up with her but I don't really want to be alone either." he confessed.

Kelly shook her head; "You're not alone."

"I'm what they call an emancipated minor... but I know I'm not really alone." Dylan assured her as she lightly nodded her head.

"Listen, when you get back from the airport, there's a few places we need to go." Kelly told him as Dylan groaned.

"Yeah, I know, Falcone..." Dylan said with a sigh as he dropped her hand. At least he actually had the money to pay him with now. "Though, I don't really want to take you back there Kel."

"Well, that's too bad because I need to go out and get some ice packs for my chin so we may as well make a trip of it." she teased. "And uh—there's somewhere else we should go too."

After paying Falcone and buying some ice packs, Kelly took Dylan to somewhere he hadn't been in a while—an AA meeting. She'd been to countless of these meetings with him the summer before sophomore year and she would do it a hundred times if that's what it took for him to get better. She was proud that he was finally holding himself accountable for everything. She was thankful that he came out the other side and that she still had her friend. That he was still the same old broody, cool, wonderful Dylan McKay.

_He_ was thankful that Kelly meant what she said that night on the beach when they were 14. He was thankful that she was a woman of her word and that no matter what, he would never be alone. He was so, so, thankful for her—and he wasn't sure he could ever put it into words. Like he'd said to her in Yosemite- what did he do to deserve her?


	8. Under My Skin

_"How many moments in your life can you point to and say that's when it all changed?"- Brooke Davis, One Tree Hill_

_DK have one of those moments this chapter..._ _Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 8- Under My Skin

A few weeks had passed since the pool hall incident Iris' departure and things were going relatively smoothly for the teens at West Bev. The biggest news of all was that Donna had started dating David Silver and Kelly couldn't quite believe just how many areas of her life the boy was invading. First her mother, now her best friend. Where would it _end_?

Kelly sat with Dylan in the Peach Pit one Thursday afternoon with a scowl on her face. She watched in one corner as David and Donna giggled together, happy as can be. How come everyone in her life was dating except for her?

"_Ugh_. Aren't they the darling duo?" Kelly grumbled as Dylan stopped eating mid bite and turned to see what Kelly was complaining about. When he realised it was Donna and David, he sniggered and quickly swallowed.

"Kel, I just _love_ it when you roll out of the wrong side of the bed in the morning, it's really entertaining and terrifying for everyone you come into contact with." he responded.

Kelly glared at him; "Your sarcasm doesn't help."

"What do you have against Donna and David anyway?"

"Just seeing David reminds me how much my mom likes his dad." Kelly said as she scrunched up her face. "What can she see in a guy whose idea of a good time is a gum massage?"

"... he's a dentist Kel."

"Thank you, captain _obvious_." she said with an eye roll. "And can we talk about Brenda's new job for just _5_ minutes."

"Yeah she told me you resent her for getting good at her job?" Dylan questioned.

Kelly rolled her eyes for what felt like the hundreth time that day. "Of _course_ she did."

"So, you don't resent her?"

"No! I resent her selling incredibly expensive items to naïve boys like David Silver. You know he bought Donna this incredibly expensive perfume? Brenda shouldn't be making him spend _exorbitant_ amounts of money on a relationship that has _barely_ got its feet off the ground. I know it's her job to make sales, but don't you think it's a little unfair?"

Dylan held his hands up; "Hey, I am not getting in the middle of this one"

"Hey, I was simply defending myself."

"I didn't think you'd defend yourself, I thought you'd say she was right."

"You are _so_ annoying." Kelly said as she sulked in her chair.

Dylan chuckled; "Why? Cause I'm not on your side?"

"No, because you're being all diplomatic... and not taking my side..." she conceded with a sigh. "I knew this would be the downside of you finally finding someone nice and normal." she said with a pout.

"Aw Kel, you know I would never abandon you."

"Oh_ please_..." she said as she turned and looked to the other side of the room and saw Steve swallowing spit with his latest girl- Christine. "And don't even get me _started_ on _that_ girl." she said as Dylan turned around and let out a breath. He sensed this was going to be a long afternoon. "She gets on my nerves. She has _zero_ class. Steve can do better than that." Kelly got bad vibes from this girl. She was pretty much convinced she was only after Steve's money.

"Why don't you go over there and tell him?"

"This isn't funny Dylan."

"Kel, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous." Dylan observed, knowing it would probably push her buttons.

"Well, it's a good thing you know better then, isn't it?" Kelly snapped back. Dylan knew she wasn't jealous, she didn't have any feelings for Steve, but he was still her friend and she would always look out for him. "Ugh, it's completely nauseating." Kelly said as Steve kissed Christine goodbye and she left.

"What's nauseating Kel?" Steve asked as he pulled up a chair beside the pair.

"Eavesdrop much?" Kelly challenged.

"It's a small restaurant and you're a loud talker." Steve responded as Kelly rolled her eyes and Dylan sniggered. "Something tells me your objections are about me and Christine. Something you want to get off your chest?"

"It's not my place to criticise." Kelly said as she sat back in her chair and folded her arms.

"That's certainly never stopped you before."

"Steve, maybe now isn't the time or place." she said when she noticed David and Donna had started listening in.

"No, I would love for everyone to hear how you diss my new girlfriend and pretend like it's for my own good! Come on Kel, tell me everything that's wrong with Christine." Steve responded as the other three cowered in their seats.

"All I'm going to say is that you get what you pay for." Kelly said as she grabbed her bag. "I'm out of here."

"But, the pie-" Dylan began to protest. He was her ride and he_ just_ wanted to finish his pie.

"Where does she get off?!" Steve angrily commented.

"It's amazing how a little competition stirs the pangs of jealousy in a woman." David commented.

"She's not jealous, she's just a snob!"

"Wow, Steve come on, that's not fair. She's just looking out for you." Dylan defended.

Steve glared at Dylan; "I know you and Kelly have this annoying habit of trying to justify each other's _stupid_ actions, but it's not going to float this time."

"Maybe her actions have some ground..." he said. When Kelly got a vibe from someone, it was normally right and Dylan always trusted her judgement.

Steve scoffed; "You actually believe her?"

"Kelly's got good intuition man, maybe hear her out."

"No, she just thinks that anyone who can't afford to shop on Rodeo Drive is a lower life form. It's not like Christine lives in the _valley_." Steve said.

"I'm going to go make sure she's ok... but, think about what she said Steve." Dylan said as he took one final bite of his pie and went outside to take Kelly home.

* * *

The following morning, Dylan watched as Kelly stormed through the hallways of West Bev. She glared angrily as someone bumped into her and scolded her for not looking where she was ok. Steve even tried to apologize to her about Christine—turns out she was right about her—but Kelly wasn't interested in hearing it. She waved him off and kept walking, leaving him completely confused. Kelly loved it when she was right. Why wasn't she boasting? Steve looked over at Dylan who simply nodded his head to tell him he'd take this one. He walked towards Kelly as she angrily threw her books into her locker.

"Kelly..." he greeted cautiously.

Kelly rolled her eyes; "Not now Dylan."

"Yes _now_, there is no way you'd let me walk around here in a fool mood, so I'm not going to let you either. What's going on?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Not even to me?"

"To _nobody_."

"You know, I'm starting to think we should have gotten our 8th grade summer pact in writing because you can be a little flakey on the terms-"

_"Dylan."_ Kelly said through her teeth._ Stupid pact_, she knew that would come back to bite her in the ass...

"Kel. If you can't trust me, who can you trust?"

Kelly thought about it for a minute before figuring it might be good to get this off her chest. "Ok... but you have to promise not to tell anybody."

"Of course."

"Mel and Jackie—god, I can'_t believe_ this is happening." Kelly said as she ran her hand through her hair.

"What's happening?" he asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"They're always harping on at us to be so careful..." Kelly grumbled as Dylan's mouth fell open slightly and he clocked on to what Kelly was talking about.

"... you're kidding." he mumbled.

"Nope. My mom is pregnant."

"Your mom is pregnant?!" they heard a voice beside them exclaim as their heads shot round to find a shocked Donna standing there.

"Donna-"

_"Oh my god!_"

"Donna, you can't tell anyone, promise me you won't tell anyone." Kelly pleaded. Her mother would _kill_ her if this got out before she'd even had the chance to tell Mel.

"I- I won't." Donna said absentmindedly. "I gotta go..." she mumbled before she scurried away to find David.

"This is a _nightmare_." Kelly moaned as she rested her head against the locker.

"Kel come on, maybe it'll be fun." Dylan said, trying to keep her spirits up about the whole thing.

"Babies are _anything_ but _fun_."

"You might feel differently when you meet your little brother or sister."

Kelly rolled her eyes; "I'll believe that when it happens."

"You've got to be positive." he said, running out of words of encouragement very quickly. He'd forgot how stubborn Kelly could be in situations like this.

Kelly scoffed and smirked; "This is so _rich_ coming from you."

Dylan laughed; "Yeah, I may not be that positive about my own life, but I'll give _you_ all the positivity I can." he said as Kelly closed her locker and started walking away. Dylan put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "Look, your mom has been through a lot, she's done a lot of stuff you and I both know she's not proud of. Maybe this is her chance to get it right."

* * *

After her morning time confession, things started to spiral out of control for the Taylor's. Donna had told David about the baby who then went to Mel thinking he knew, when he in fact didn't, not to mention Dylan told Brenda who told her entire family who also mentioned it to Jackie—landing Kelly in some hot bother. She wasn't particularly surprised that Donna couldn't hold her water, but she was surprised that Dylan would blab. Must come with the territory of having a significant other- but it didn't make her any less mad. She didn't want what she had with Dylan to be diminished by their relationships, but she knew that was just going to be the reality of the situation.

The following morning, Kelly answered the door to a guilty looking Dylan. One look at his puppy dog face and she had already softened.

"I think I owe you an apology..." he said sheepishly.

"Get in line" Kelly said as she walked into the house and Dylan followed her.

"Kelly I'm_ really_ sorry." he said as he pulled on her arm so she was looking at him. "I broke your trust and for nothing. It was stupid and horrible and I will never do it again."

Kelly sighed, not wanting to get into a fight over this. "It's fine, really. I'm not sure I would be able to keep anything from my boyfriend if it was me."

Dylan shrugged; "Maybe so, but we made a pact, and it's something that shouldn't be taken lightly."

Kelly smirked; "You make it sound like we signed our names in blood."

"Well, the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb." he recited.

Kelly chuckled; "How appropriate."

"So, everything with Mel and Jackie worked out in the end?"

"Yep. Just in time for Valentine's Day... I can't believe I'm going to have another step dad." Kelly said, referring to her mother's impending nuptials. She also couldn't believe that David Silver was going to be her step brother...

"Something tells me that this one is for keeps." Dylan encouraged.

Kelly grimaced, "Yeah, I'm not sure I'm that optimistic at this stage... did you have a nice Valentine's day with Brenda?" she asked as the stood opposite each other in the living room.

"Yeah, it was nice. We donated blood."

Kelly smiled widely; "Oh you finally followed through with that huh?" She knew he'd wanted to do it since the car accident he was involved in as a kid. The same car accident where he got his character defining eyebrow scar that Kelly just loved. It was just—_Dylan_.

"Yeah, I made a promise and I stick to my promises... most of the time." he said sheepishly, thinking back to why he was here in the first place.

"Well, practice makes perfect." she said with a nudge.

"Kelly, I really do think you'll be an amazing sister and you're allowed to be excited about it." Dylan encouraged.

"I know. I mean—it's a little weird, but I'm coming around to the idea."

"I'm glad to hear that." Dylan said. "Come on" he ordered as he pulled at her jumper; "There's some peach pie waiting at The Pit with our names on it" Kelly smiled as Dylan pulled her into his side and hugged her and kissed her head as they walked out the door.

She really couldn't stay mad at this boy for long, could she?

* * *

As they walked into The Pit they had a moment of regret when they remembered that Nat still had Jim Walsh's karaoke machine going. It had been driving everybody insane. It was fun for the first while, but then it really died and death and people were desperate to get rid of it. Nat agreed, but also said they were going to have one last day of fun with it. Kelly, however, was in no mood for anymore of this supposed 'fun' was about to suggest they walk out before anybody noticed them—but Dylan had another idea.

He smiled and looked down at Kelly; "Kelly..."

Kelly looked up at him to say they should leave, but her face fell when she saw the look on his face. _"No."_ she said firmly, knowing exactly what he was about to ask.

"Oh, come on"

"Dylan, you hate singing let alone in a restaurant full of people!" she reminded him as he pulled at her hand.

"I'll be making a fool of myself _with_ you, so it's fine." he said with a shrug.

"_Dylan_."

_"Kelly._ I know you have the voice of an angel." he teased as he managed to get her onto the stage without her even realising.

"Yeah, if said angel was being repeatedly _stabbed._"

She suddenly realised she was on the stage and everyone- including all their friends and her mother and Mel—were cheering for them. Dylan handed her the microphone and looked through the song selection before smiling at his song choice.

Kelly watched him as he lifted the microphone and began singing:

_"I've got you under my skin, I've got you deep in the heart of me, so deep in my heart, that you're really a part of me..."_

Kelly felt all time around her stop as Dylan sung those words, looking directly at her. His stare was so _intense._ It was full of vulnerability, need, desire and most importantly—love. Nobody had_ ever_ looked at her that way. She had never seen _Dylan_ look at anybody that way. It was like he was looking straight into her _soul._

The smile had fallen from his face when he finished and he gulped. They just looked at each other, neither really knowing what to do with what they both just realised. _They were well and truly under each other's skin._ They always had been... and they certainly weren't the only ones to notice.

All their friends had gone silent as they awkwardly looked at each other, all seeing the moment Dylan and Kelly were having and not wanting to say anything—especially Brenda.

"I uh—I need to use the bathroom." Kelly said quickly as she put the microphone down and rushed off the stage.

Dylan walked over to their friends who all shifted awkwardly.

"Interesting song choice." Brenda spat.

Dylan shrugged; "I like the song."

"Sure._ That's_ what it is." Brenda said as they all continued to sit in an awkward silence. It appeared that no one was willing to acknowledge the oddly intimate moment Dylan and Kelly had in front of the whole restaurant.

Steve cleared his throat; "So, who wants a milkshake?" he asked as everyone started to chime in and talk whatever nonsense was on the top of their head, choosing to put the moment behind them.

When Kelly came back into the room Dylan followed her with his eyes as she sat at the opposite end of the table with David and Donna. Something told him they had reached a point of no return in their relationship... he just wasn't sure how it was going to end.

"Kel..." Donna said quietly so only the two of them could hear. "Is there something going on between you two?"

"What? No!" Kelly quickly defended as she shifted awkwardly.

"It's just the way he was looking at you up there... my _god_ Kel. It was_ intense._"

Kelly sighed; "Donna, you know what we're like, we've always had this connection but it's never been more than friendship and it probably never will be more than that."

"Probably?" Donna asked with raised eyebrows at Kelly's choice of wording.

Kelly merely looked at Donna and gulped. She didn't really know what to say anymore. Donna saw the pain in her eyes. It was a look that screamed her heart _hurt_ over Dylan McKay—and it always had. He was the one boy who took her seriously. The one boy who never bought into her easy reputation. The one boy who had looked straight to her heart and liked what he saw. He saw her for all she was worth—but she couldn't have him.

At first, they quite simply weren't ready for each other. They were both immature kids who barely understood love because they had so little of it in their lives. How could they ever love each other when all they amounted their relationships to was sex? Then the Walshes came into their lives. For the first time they saw what a true family was like. They saw what a good marriage was like, what unconditional love was like. They finally understood—but they understood too late. Dylan loved Brenda. She changed his world. How could she ever get in the way of that? How could he ever give that up?

Kelly snapped out of her pity when Nat set a milkshake in front of her. She was just going to have to deal with this in her own, no doubt self-destructive, way. She just hoped she made it out the other side in one piece.


	9. Slammed Doors

_Thank you for the reviews for the last chapter! Special shout out to the guest reviewer who picked up on the fact that Dylan was singing the song he sung to Kelly while they were stuffing turkeys in season 10... let's just say this might come up again! I really love that karaoke moment, so I hope you did too._

_Both Dylan and Kelly lose their cool in this chapter... enjoy!_

_Based on the end of season 2._

* * *

Chapter Nine- Slammed Doors

In what was probably a rookie error, Dylan and Kelly decided that the best way to deal with their karaoke moment was to avoid talking about it altogether. They pretended like nothing had happened and went back to being the best of friends—but it certainly didn't stop them from thinking about it all day every day. One thing in particular was playing on Kelly's mind. Her mother had been in The Pit too and when she got home that night, Jackie kept looking at her with a stupid and mischievous smirk on her face. When Kelly asked her why she was looking at her like that she replied;

"I have never seen _anybody_ look at_ anybody_ the way Dylan McKay looks at _you._"

Kelly had no idea what to say to that. David just stood behind her smirking, knowing exactly what Jackie was talking about. Kelly just did the only thing she could think of and try to push it to the back of her mind. Brenda had also decided to forget about it. She just put it down to them being so close for so long. She knew Dylan loved her and she had to trust her boyfriend otherwise their relationship was never going to last. Besides, the end of year assessments were starting and she needed to focus on her work. She didn't have time to worry about this, especially when she knew all Dylan and Kelly would say was '_don't worry about __it__ Bren_.' It was their excuse for everything.

In the following weeks, Kelly found a new distraction from her feelings in Dylan's old friend Jake who had recently popped up in Beverly Hills. He was moving into an old apartment complex in Melrose and was looking for a few jobs. He managed to pick up one at the Taylor house, doing some painting for the big wedding. He was doing a good job, but he was doing an even better job at wooing Kelly. They had really hit it off and were just having a little bit of fun together.

Things between Dylan and Brenda weren't going quite as well as Kelly's little fling. They had planned to go to Baja for the weekend for a romantic time away, but Brenda's parents said no. In typically Dylan and Brenda defiance, they decided to go anyway and roped Kelly into covering for them by telling Cindy and Jim that Brenda was staying with her. They had a good time despite a few moments of frustration, but the biggest moment of all was when they got to the border to come home and realised that Brenda had lost her passport. They then had to call Jim to come and collect her and things were not looking good for the pair since. Jim blamed Dylan for everything and demanded Brenda end things right away, but she certainly wasn't one to do what she was told.

While Brenda dealt with her parents, Dylan called round to see Kelly.

"So, how's it going?" he asked as Kelly got them some water in the kitchen.

"Oh fine... just, maybe don't ask me to lie for you guys again." Kelly requested, feeling a little guilty about the whole thing. Just before Dylan arrived, Jackie had gone _through_ her when Cindy told her about the whole thing. Kelly called Cindy to apologise immediately and she was as understanding as she could be.

Dylan held up his hands; "That was Brenda's bright idea." he defended, though he certainly didn't say no to it.

"Yeah I know. I really wish she could have warned me before my mother went through me. And let me guess—you're getting the wrap for everything?" Kelly asked, knowing exactly how Jim Walsh felt about Dylan.

"Oh yeah." Dylan said as he took a drink and sat on the chair at the island.

"Well, did you have a nice time?" she asked, trying to find a silver lining for him.

"It had its ups and downs. Her dad wants us to take a break."

Kelly scoffed. She wasn't in the least bit surprised by Jim's reaction. "What are you going to do?"

Dylan shrugged; "I have no idea. I figured I'd let them all cool off a bit before trying to straighten things out."

"Maybe you should let it cool completely." Kelly cautiously suggested.

"Seriously?"

"I don't know Dylan, I really think you crossed a line this time with Jim, I don't think there's much you can say or do that will make him forgive you." Kelly told him honestly.

Dylan nodded his head, knowing that Kelly was probably right. "Do you remember Penelope Morrow?"

Kelly scrunched up her nose; "How could I forget, she was a total_ bitch_, I can't believe your dad married her. She spilt a martini on my dress one night just because I defended you after one of your infamous fights." she reminded him. God, they both really _hated_ that woman.

"Yeah, we really did not get along, we fought all the time. Eventually, she told my dad that I wasn't welcome in my own home. Persona non grata." Dylan recounted.

Kelly nodded lightly; "I remember. I managed to hide you in my pool house for 3 weeks before my mother found out." she said with a little laugh.

"Yeah... thankfully my dad came to his senses and divorced her but still. Even after everything my dad put me through over the years, that was one of the hardest hits I had to bear from him. I think being made unwelcome at the Walsh House is a pretty big hit too." Dylan confessed. They were the first family to actually care about him and welcome him. They taught him so much and he felt like a fool for screwing that up.

"I'm sure that's really hard for you." Kelly sympathised. "It is still pretty raw Dylan, you just got back this morning. Sure, Jim and Cindy are probably in no mood to forgive you right now, and you can't blame them, but maybe if you just give it time..." Kelly said, softening on her original opinion when she saw just how much this was affecting Dylan.

"I don't know, you're probably right. I went too far and, in all honesty, I'd rather not see Jim Walsh myself for the time being."

"Does this mean you're not coming to my mom's wedding?" she asked sheepishly. She really wanted him there—mainly to keep her sane throughout the whole thing.

"Ah, you know I wouldn't miss it for the world." he assured her as he momentarily rested his hand on hers. "Just don't expect me to stand anywhere near Jim." he assured her. "So, what's new with you? I heard you finally met Jake." Dylan had spoken to Kelly about Jake a lot. She knew him as the guy who taught Dylan to surf and pick up girls.

Kelly choked on her water before finding the breath to speak; "How do you know about that?"

Dylan furrowed his eyebrows; "That you met Jake? He's painting for your mom..." he said as if was obvious. He nodded out the window to where Jake was standing working right now. Why was she being so weird?

"... _right._" Kelly said, realising she had probably landed herself in it.

"Kelly-"

"He's doing a good job."

Dylan raised his eyebrows as he started to clock on to why Kelly was being so weird. "At more than one thing by the sounds of it. Have you two been...?" he asked, not really wanting to say it out loud.

"... we kissed. A few times. No big deal." she said with a shrug as Dylan remained silent and simply stared at her. "Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you disapprove." It felt a little weird talking to Dylan about this, but she wasn't about to lie to him either.

"You're a big girl you can make your own decisions." Dylan said, trying to downplay how he really felt about this whole thing. Jake had a pretty terrible reputation when it came to girls. The last thing he wanted was for Kelly to get hurt because of it. "As a friend though, I should warn you..."

"_Warn_ me?" Kelly asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just to be careful. Jake's not the most stable and supportive guy out there." Dylan told her.

Kelly smirked; "Well, I'm not looking for a boyfriend right now Dylan. We're just having fun."

Dylan nodded his head, slightly relieved to hear her say that. He kept telling himself that this wasn't jealousy at all—just a friend looking out for a friend—but he knew that probably wasn't true.

"Ok. Well, I'm here if you need me." he told her.

"You always are." she said with a smile.

* * *

After speaking with Brandon and having to hear from him the same thing he heard from Jim, Dylan was mad. He understood he had plenty to be mad about, but he didn't have to live with his rules and his temper, so he told Brenda that they should keep their distance and he told Kelly that he wouldn't be at the wedding.

He thought it was strange that he found it harder to disappoint Kelly than he did Brenda. He figured it was because Kelly had done nothing wrong and she was relying on him to be there for her. He promised he would make it up to her soon—but that didn't stop Kelly from being mad. She had also asked Jake to the wedding and he said no which put her in an even worse mood. So, when Brenda came to the wedding rehearsal and started harping on about how Kelly shouldn't have been so stupid as to think there was something between her and Jake and how it was totally unfair that Dylan had told her they needed to cool off for a while, Kelly lost it.

"Brenda would you give it a rest!" Kelly snapped as Donna walked over to see what was going in.

"Kelly. This is important to me." Brenda reminded her.

"Can't you see that the people around you also have lives? That_ I_ have a life? Jake mattered to me and I don't care that you think I'm being stupid. My feelings were hurt and that was the reality of the situation and don't get me _started_ on Dylan." Kelly said as Brenda glared deeply and folded her arms.

"No, please._ Start._" Brenda snapped back.

"_You_ were the one who forgot your passport, _you_ were the one who lied to your parents in the first place, Dylan had _no clue_ they said no and if he had have known, he wouldn't have taken you down there. Now he's lost two people who were more of a mom and dad to him than his own parents have ever been, a guy who became like a brother and probably his girlfriend too, not to mention he feels he can't even come here tonight, which really sucks because he is the one person on the planet that I wanted here tonight!" Kelly ranted, saying exactly what Dylan was too afraid to say. He took the blame on himself which was entirely unfair. Brenda stood in silence for a brief moment, completely taken aback by Kelly's boldness.

"You have no idea what is going between Dylan and my family." she eventually muttered out.

"Of _course_ I know what's going on Brenda, he told me all about it!"

Brenda scoffed; "Of course he did. He has one little problem and he runs to saint Kelly to fix his problems! News flash Kelly, he's not your boyfriend, you're in no position to help him through anything, so back off!"

"Yet again, you have no idea what you're talking about. No matter what you say, no matter what you do, Dylan McKay will always be a huge part of my life. I guess you better just get used to it and stop being a self-centered little bitch."

_"Kelly!"_ Jackie scolded as she caught on to the end of the conversation.

"I think I better go home." Brenda said as she stormed out of the garden.

"Kelly, what is going on?!" Jackie demanded to know.

"I have a life too you know mother, I have feelings. Nobody pays any attention to them but they're there." Kelly replied.

Mel looked at Jackie; "Do you think it's too late to elope?"

"Kelly, can't we talk about this later?" Jackie asked as she walked towards her daughter.

"We don't have to talk about it at all!"

* * *

After a pipe burst in the Taylor house that meant the wedding couldn't happen there, the Walshes rather reluctantly agreed to have it at their house. They spent the whole day setting everything up and the place was a mad house. Brenda was also refusing to come out of her room and talk to anybody. Eventually, when Kelly arrived, she put her pride aside and went upstairs to apologise to Brenda. She was angry and spoke out of turn and knew it was not something she wanted to hold a grudge about.

"I'm really sorry Bren." Kelly said after standing in a moment of silence.

"No, I'm sorry Kelly, I was being unbelievably selfish and everything you said about Dylan and my dad—well, you were right."

"I wasn't right about calling you a bitch. That was really stupid... and now my mom is getting married at your house." Kelly said with a little laugh.

"Yeah, it's all pretty ridiculous. Kelly, I know I can't fix your Jake problem but uh- if it's worth anything, I spoke to my mom and she's going to try and get Dylan to come to the wedding."

"Oh, she doesn't have to do that-"

"I know, but she wants to. We _both_ want to. We know how much he means to you Kelly and I think it's important that he's here." Brenda assured her.

"Thank you" Kelly said quietly, not quite believing how understanding Brenda was being.

* * *

A short while later, Brenda, Kelly and Donna were all getting ready upstairs. They were laughing and dancing around the room, enjoying spending this time together.

"Oh, I left my shoes downstairs!" Kelly remembered. "I'll be right back" she said as she left the room, as she closed the door and turned around, she ran straight into someone didn't expect to see. "_Dylan. Hi_."

"Hi Kel" he said, trying to muster up as much of a smile as he could as he awkwardly rubbed his palms.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as he pulled her arm to move them away from the door so no one else could hear them.

"Taking the first step... Jim said I could come to the wedding."

"That's great." Kelly said with a smile. "Why do I feel there's a but coming?"

"He still wants me to stay away from Brenda."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

Dylan simply shrugged, not really sure what there was to say about it all. He stopped brooding for a moment and really looked at Kelly. She was standing in her pink, poofy bridesmaid's dress with her hair and make-up done—and socks with bunny rabbits on them. He laughed; "Nice socks."

Kelly looked down at her feet and laughed; "Thanks. You know how ridiculously cold my feet get, so I'm trying to preserve the heat for as long as possible."

"Well, you look beautiful." he said sincerely as he smiled softly and moved a stray hair off her cheek. Even just looking at her for a brief moment could change his whole demeanour. How was it possible that she could make him feel that way, even on the worst of days, from doing barely anything at all?

"Thanks" Kelly said with a gulp.

"I'm uh—I'm going to go home and change." Dylan said, gulping himself as they stood dangerously close to one another. Dylan shifted awkwardly on his feet while Kelly looked down at hers. "Save me a dance later?" he asked quietly and hopefully.

"Count on it" Kelly said with a nod and a soft smile. Dylan hesitated for a moment before bending down and leaving a lingering kiss on her cheek as Kelly closed her eyes and let herself live in that moment and that moment alone.

Dylan soon disappeared downstairs as Kelly kept her eyes closed for another brief moment. She knew if she had have opened them while he was still there, he would have seen straight through her and into her feelings. She was desperately pining for him and there was nothing she could do about it.

What were they _doing_ to one another?

* * *

The wedding went off without a hitch—which Jackie couldn't quite believe—the bride and groom were now happily dancing as the party began to get into full swing. Dylan and Kelly stood at the side of the dance floor watching them, with Kelly's hand linked comfortably around Dylan's arm.

"So, they finally did it." Dylan commented.

Kelly giggled; "I know, I can't quite believe it."

"I'm sure it will be nice to have a dad around. Even if it is David Silver's."

"Yeah, we'll see about that..." Kelly said as she nudged him with her hip. "I'm glad you decided to come Dylan."

"I told you—I'll always be here when you need me." he said as he turned his head to look at her and she smiled softly at him. "So, how are things going with Jake?" Dylan asked as he looked at his feet, not wanting to see the smile that would probably be on her face at the thought of him.

"Well, I'm guessing nothing's going on or he'd be here right now." Kelly said with a shrug.

Dylan's head shot up, relieved to hear her say that but concerned that Jake may have hurt her feelings. "Well, then, he's an idiot." he told her as she smiled gratefully. "So, want to dance? It's not a one-time offer, it can wait."

Kelly smiled, remembering he had pulled that line on her at the spring dance this time last year. "I guess one dance wouldn't hurt..." she said as he held her hand, spun her under his arm then pulled her closely into him.

They swayed gently around the dance floor as they both felt more and more relaxed. Despite everything that had gone on over the past few days, they couldn't be more thankful to be here in this moment in time, together, feeling safe and assured that everything would be ok.

Dylan's calmness was broken when he looked up and saw Jim Walsh staring straight at him as he danced with Cindy.

"You know Kel, I'm glad I was able to be here for you but uh—I'm not glad that Brenda's dad has been glaring at me all day..." he commented.

Kelly scrunched up her nose; "Yeah, I think you're just going to have to try and block that one out."

Dylan looked down as her and involuntarily reciprocated the soft smile on her face. "I don't think that should be too difficult."

They danced for a few more minutes before Dylan felt a tap on his shoulder, and watched as Kelly turned white as a ghost. He turned around and saw Jake smiling devilishly at them.

"May I?" Jake asked as Kelly moved away from Dylan and he immediately craved to feel her against him again.

He gulped, knowing that there was only one answer he could give. "Sure man" he said as he reluctantly let go of Kelly's hand and let Jake move in. Kelly watched Dylan walk away with his hands stuffed in his pockets—and she felt _sad_. They were apart for 10 seconds and she _missed_ him. She quickly came to her senses and turned her attention to Jake, who she couldn't quite believe had showed up.

* * *

After a day of watching Kelly and Jake swap spit, avoiding Brandon and getting sent death glares by Jim Walsh, Dylan was about ready to end the night there and then. He went to grab one last soda from the bar, just as Jake walked over to him with a smirk on his face.

"What are you doing here man?" Dylan asked, entirely unimpressed that he showed after he sacked Kelly off.

"Didn't Kelly tell you she invited me?"

"Yeah, she did, but she was under the impression you weren't going to show."

"I changed my mind." Jake said with a shrug. "You know. After all the years of you talking on and on about Kelly—you never mentioned what a fire cracker she was." he said suggestively.

Dylan clenched his jaw; "Watch yourself Jake."

"You should probably watch yourself too." he said as he motioned to the drink in his hand. "What are you drinking for? If I remember, that wasn't one of your better habits."

"And dropping in and out of people's lives isn't one of yours." Dylan snapped back without missing a beat.

"Leave the drink Dylan."

"Give me a break Jake, it's _coke_." he said as he forcefully set the glass down on the bar.

"What's your problem?" Jake challenged, seeing how agitated he was getting.

"I'm sick of putting my trust in people and having them slam the door in my face. You've got the right idea Jake, keep moving, never make any serious attachments."

"It's a rotten way to live Dylan."

"You look like you're doing ok."

"That's the way it's supposed to look."

Dylan scoffed; "You've got Kelly fooled. Look, she is one of my best friends and probably the only person in my life who I trust that I know would never slam a door in my face and- I would do anything for her. That means I would do anything to you if you hurt her." he threatened.

"Kelly knows what's up."

"So, she knows your sordid history?"

"Don't worry about Kelly, Dylan. She's having a good time tonight... I would try and keep that jealousy under wraps though. You're not being as subtle as you think." Jake said as he patted Dylan on the shoulder and walked over to Kelly who smiled as he approached.

Dylan watched on in pure, unadulterated jealousy. He wasn't afraid to admit that now. He wasn't afraid to admit anything. He got too close to the Walshes, he was hurt by Jim, he was pissed at Brandon, he was frustrated with Brenda. He hated that Jake was taking Kelly away from him. He hated that he was about to lose the last good thing in his life. When was enough going to be enough? He was about to walk away when the last person he wanted to talk to right now walked over- Jim.

"Dylan, I was just talking to Brenda. She told me how you're feeling and I was beginning to realise that maybe I had been a little unfair." Jim told him— Dylan could tell that he wasn't all that happy about having to do this.

"You don't have to apologise to me."

"No, I let my temper get the better of me, I'm sorry for that. You know how we all feel about you Dylan."

Dylan scoffed; "I thought I did. I thought there was some special thing going on between me and your family. So I trusted you. Like a father man. Not just with my money but with my feelings." he replied honestly, as he felt himself choking up over the whole thing.

"Well, Dylan that trust is a two way street. Imagine how we feel-"

"I know how you feel!" Dylan screamed as half the wedding party turned round to see what the shouting was about, including Kelly, who's face immediately fell when she realised it was Dylan. "At least when my dad was pissed at me he would hit me and I could look at those bruises and know they'd go away! Come on Jim! Take a shot! Let me know how you really feel!"

Kelly involuntarily stepped forward slightly. It was basic instinct to protect Dylan now when he was in pain, but Jake was quick to hold onto her arm before she went any further.

Jim remained silent and still after Dylan's words. "Yeah..." Dylan mumbled before he lifted a bottle of whiskey out from behind the bar.

"Oh that's right, now you need a drink-" Jim commented. Dylan lifted the bottle and smashed it against the wall, causing Kelly to gasp and put a hand to her chest, her eyes filling with tears.

Dylan pointed at Jim; "What I don't need is _you_ telling me what to do."

"Then I suggest you go home."

"You're damn straight I will and another thing—I want your hands off my money, you got that?" Dylan spat as he swiftly walked away.

Kelly was about to run after him when she felt her arm being pulled in the opposite direction by Donna.

"Come on Kelly, Jackie and Mel are leaving!"

Everyone went out to the front of the house to say goodbye to Mel and Jackie, but Kelly's mind was elsewhere. She ignored the bouquet toss, she barely registered her mother hugging her—all she noticed was Brenda talking to Dylan, before he jumped into his car and sped down the road, leaving Brenda in tears.

What the _hell_ was going on? Kelly thought as she ran her hand over her forehead, having no idea what to do.

* * *

_You guys know what's up next..._

_Don't forget to review!_


	10. Misery Loves Company

_This chapter is based on 3x01-03, so a lot of this will be familiar to DK fans... just with a bit of a twist. My goal with the first 9 chapters was to create a different back story to all these moments and now my goal is just to intensify the relationship and build it up around this back story, so hopefully you'll enjoy the drama that's coming!_

_For now, here's a little introduction to the summer of deception... enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Ten- Misery Loves Company

It had been a month since Jackie and Mel's wedding and the West Bev gang were more than thrilled to be getting out for summer. 8 weeks of total _bliss_ awaited them and they couldn't wait to soak up the sun and party all summer. Kelly and Donna had plans to study in Paris for 6 weeks and they were so excited. Kelly had been a few times and adored it, so to spend 6 weeks there was a total dream. She was also excited to get away from the Brenda and Dylan fiasco. She was being as supportive as she could for her friends, but the whole thing was getting a little old. They were still sneaking around together and lying to Jim and Cindy about their relationship. All Kelly could think about was the last time she lied for them and got caught—it hadn't ended so well.

Any time Brenda had called recently asking Kelly to cover for her, Kelly up some excuse as to why she couldn't. As for Dylan, she had rarely spoken to him the past month. She called a few times to check in, but she kept getting grunted responses, so decided to drop the whole thing. They still had their Thursday peach pie sessions, but they talked about anything other than Brenda, what happened at the wedding and Jake. He had been particularly opposed to talking about Jake. They were still seeing each other, but she wasn't sure how long that one would last. So for now, Kelly focused on getting her mother through to the end of her pregnancy and preparing to go to Paris.

It didn't take long for things to escalate however. Just as her new baby sister Erin was born, Jim and Cindy found out that Brenda and Dylan were still seeing each other and blew _up_. So much so that Brenda had moved out of the house and was staying with Dylan, much the surprise of everybody. Kelly couldn't help but roll her eyes and the melodrama- and snigger at the thought of Dylan having to put up with Brenda making herself comfortable at his house. He truly was a loner and she just knew that she would drive him crazy.

A few days after Erin was released from hospital, Dylan came over to the Taylor-Silver house to meet their latest addition. He sat on the foot stool in Erin's nursery opposite the arm chair Kelly was sitting in with Erin in her arms.

"She's cute" Dylan said as he looked down at the baby in Kelly's arms.

Kelly smiled widely; "Yeah, I guess she's not so bad. You want to hold her?"

Dylan scrunched his nose; "Oh no, I'm no good with babies."

Kelly laughed; "When have you ever had any practice with babies?"

Dylan shrugged; "I just know I would be no good with them."

"Well, I thought I would be no good either but no, I'm a natural." she playfully boasted.

Dylan smiled; "I told you you would like this whole sister thing."

"This is the only time you are ever allowed to tell me I told you so..." she warned.

Dylan chucked; "Deal. Are you really not going to go to Paris?"

After spending some time with Erin, Kelly realised that she didn't want to leave. She'd been to Paris before, but this was probably the only time she'd get to have a baby sister and look after her through the summer. This was the first time she'd ever had a proper family and she didn't want to miss out.

"I don't really feel like I'm giving anything up by not going. I'm in no rush to go find myself—whatever that even _means_. You know better than anyone that feeling a part of a family is a really special thing. I don't want to miss out." Kelly explained.

Dylan nodded and gulped, knowing exactly what she meant. "I reckon if I had a family set up like this, I wouldn't want to go anywhere either."

"Well you're welcome to make yourself a part of mine any time." Kelly offered as Dylan nudged her knee gratefully. In all honesty, the last thing he wanted to do was put his trust in another family. "You know..." Kelly began with a smirk, "At the rate you and Brenda are going, you could have one of your own very soon."

Dylan groaned; "Please, don't joke."

Kelly laughed; "I'm sorry, but you're getting on like an old married couple. I can't believe she's living with you and cleaning your house and doing your laundry and cooking... it's a very bold and romantic statement you're making." While she could see the romance in it, she could also see the idiocy in it—but she wasn't quite ready to admit that yet. Not when she figured Dylan would go on the defensive.

"Kel, I gotta be honest—she's driving me _crazy._" Dylan confessed, leaving Kelly surprised that he was actually willing to talk about it. "I'm walking around on eggshells in my own home, I can't do it anymore. We just have two very different ways of living."

"I guess you are a bit of a loner, huh?"

"For now, yes, I am." Dylan said with a sigh as he ran a hand down his face.

"You could just send her home..." Kelly cautiously suggested.

"No, I can't, it's about the principle of the whole thing. For now, I'm just going to politely ask her to avoid ironing _everything_ in sight." he said with wide eyes as Kelly sniggered. She couldn't _wait_ to see how this one was going to end.

* * *

No matter what scenarios Kelly thought of in her head for how the Dylan and Brenda fiasco would end, she would never have imagined this one. Brenda's parents were paying for her to go to Paris in her place and Dylan had been the one to push her to go. It's like he wanted rid of her for the summer. She did notice that as soon as she got into the van, he let out a sigh. It's like he was relieved to be getting a break from her. In all honesty, Kelly didn't blame him. She understood how the whole thing could be taking its toll.

Dylan walked over to Kelly and watched as Brenda and Donna packed the final things onto the van.

"Dylan, don't you think it's a little extreme to send Brenda to Paris to get her out of your house?" Kelly teased.

Dylan shoved Kelly lightly; "Oh bite me Taylor..."

Kelly laughed as she folded her arms across her chest. "So, it looks like you and I have a whole summer of fun ahead."

"_You_ have a summer full of dirty diapers." Dylan reminded her.

Kelly playfully pouted; "Oh I'm sure I could make time for you." she mocked as he laughed lightly and they waved the bus off. As soon as it turned the corner, Kelly turned to Dylan. "Come on, peach pie is on me," she said as she pulled his arm.

"Are you trying to seduce me with pie, Taylor?" he jokingly asked.

Kelly laughed and moved forward; "Is it working?" Dylan smiled and gulped as he looked down at Kelly. "I'm _kidding_." she added on with a laugh, "You can totally buy your own pie if you want." she said with a shrug and turned away, but Dylan quickly pulled her back and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Nah, you can't take it back" he said with a laugh that she returned as they walked over to his car, laughing about nothing in particular, but glad to be doing so together.

* * *

The following afternoon, Dylan was sitting at the beach club café completely frustrated. He had been to visit his dad in jail and found out he was up for parole this week and needed Dylan to write the judge a letter to help with his case. To say he was finding it difficult to write about his dad being a fabulous father was an understatement. He scrunched up his 8th piece of paper and flopped back onto his chair with a sigh just as Kelly walked over.

"I hope you're going to recycle all that paper." she said with a little giggle.

"Hi Kel" he greeted.

"What are you writing? A great American novel?"

"_Hardly_. It's a letter for my dad, he's up for parole." Dylan explained.

Kelly's face fell, "Yeah, I heard that on the radio."

"I'm supposed to write this glowing letter telling the parole board what a fabulous father he is. Needless to say, the words aren't coming easy." Dylan said with a sigh, knowing Kelly would understand perfectly well.

"Maybe you need a break to clear your head." she suggested. "Want to get a soda?"

"Sure" he said happily as he stood from his chair and walked over to the bar. "How are things with you?" he asked as they sat down.

"Not so hot. I went to see Jake last night after we left the Pit." she said sheepishly as she looked at her fingers.

"That bad, huh?"

"Yeah I really got sucked in. I ended up throwing myself at him and it back fired_ big_ time." Kelly vaguely explained. Truthfully, he didn't want to know the sordid details and Kelly wasn't sure she wanted to confess them. All that matter was that Jake was a bit of a snake and she was done with him—much to Dylan's relief.

"I'm sorry Kel. I warned him not to mess with you."

Kelly laughed; "Oh, my _hero_." she mocked.

"Yeah, I earned that title when Vince Peters pushed you into that puddle in kindergarten and I just pushed him right back." Dylan reminded her, before asking the bar tender for two sodas.

Kelly smiled; "I cannot believe you remember that."

"I remember a lot of things Kel."

"Clearly... well, I am done with guys for a while." Kelly announced, though Dylan knew better than to believe her. "Can you believe we've known each other since kindergarten? And we've stayed friends this whole time."

Dylan smiled. They were the best of friends, though neither would ever admit that they'd been tempted to take it further a few times. Particularly over the past year.

"We've certainly been through a lot you and me." he said as he rested his hand on top of hers.

Kelly gulped and quickly moved it out from under hers when their sodas arrived. "Are you really having a hard time with this letter?" she asked.

"I just can't come up with a single flattering thing to say about my own father that I actually believe."

"Well, if in doubt _lie._"

"I may have to..."

* * *

A few days later, Kelly was sitting outside of the Taylor-Silver cabana when Dylan walked over and slumped down on the seat beside her. Kelly immediately sat up straighter when she saw him.

"Hey, I'm sorry about your dad, I heard on the radio." Kelly said, hearing that Jack was denied parole. "I tried to call you."

"Yeah, I've been surfing all day..." he said as he fiddled with a rock in his hands.

"What happened?" Kelly asked as she turned her body slightly to face him.

"When they started dragging out affidavits from like a hundred old women who lost their pension funds in one of Jack's high-quality investment portfolios, we sort of knew it was over. It's ok, he'll be up for parole again in 6 months." Dylan explained.

"Did you finish that letter?"

"Yeah. Not that my lies did him any good." Dylan said, feeling a little guilty that he had to make all that stuff up to get a criminal out of jail.

"Yeah... I know what it's like to have a dad who only cares about himself." Kelly said with a scoff. "I'd say you're doing ok without yours Dylan."

Dylan gave her a tight-lipped smile; "Right back at you Taylor. Brenda called last night."

Kelly smiled; "She did? How's she doing?" she asked happily.

"They're having a great time. She was going on about this story, something about eating brains, I don't know... she seems so far away." he said sadly.

"She _is_ far away."

"She asked what was going on here, I didn't even tell her about my dad."

Kelly frowned; "Why not?"

"I didn't want to bring her down." Dylan said with a shrug.

Kelly sighed; "They're off having the time of their lives and we're stuck here, _miserable_."

Dylan smiled; "Now Kelly, how could we be miserable when we have each other for company?" he teased.

Kelly giggled; "I suppose you're not a bad person to spend the summer with."

"Just think how much you would have missed me if you'd gone to Paris."

"Oh I don't know about that..." she joked.

"Watch it" he said as he kicked her lightly.

"No, you're right. There's nothing to be miserable about."

For the first time in a long time Kelly felt like she had her friend back. She couldn't remember the last time they joked around like this. Things had been so intense for the past few months that she was convinced Dylan would never be the same, but with Brenda gone, it was like he had a new lease of life and a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders.

A short while later, Steve came over and told them they needed them for a tug of war down on the beach with the kids club. They fought valiantly, but the kids won and Kelly ended up falling on top of Dylan after she lost her footing. They laughed hysterically about it as they stumbled around on the sand.

"Come on love birds, get off the rope." Steve joked as their laughter faded and they moved off the rope. Dylan lifted her elbow to help her up and wiped some of the sand off her arms. They stared at each other of a brief moment before both looking away awkwardly, thinking far too much about Steve's off handed comment.


	11. Blissful Ignorance

_Loved reading all your reviews yet again! Tish- I like the way you think about their summer together, definitely a summer of truth in a lot of ways!_

_Again, this chapter will be familiar stuff, but a necessary part of the story. Hope you enjoy!_

_Based on 3x04-05_

* * *

Chapter Eleven- Blissful Ignorance

"Hey McKay" Kelly greeted as Dylan joined her at the back of the queue for the club volleyball tournament that was running to support Friends of The Bay, an organisation that was working to keep the oceans clean.

"Taylor. What's going on?" he asked as he put his hands in his pockets.

"Not much. I didn't expect to see you at a club volleyball tournament." Kelly said, knowing Dylan would do pretty much anything to avoid a group activity.

"If I don't support Friends of the Bay then I'm not going to have anywhere to surf, neither will your baby sister." Dylan pointed out.

Kelly smiled; "Oh, you think she's going to be a surfer?"

"Yeah, a few lessons with me and she'll be a natural. You playing with Kyle?" Dylan queried.

"No, he's out of town for the summer. You have a partner?"

"Nope."

Kelly smiled; "What do you say?"

"You and me? I don't know Kel, we'd probably spend the whole time arguing over who was better." Dylan pointed out. Kelly knew this was true, they had a pretty dynamic relationship and this would probably descend into a petty argument that they'd be over in less than an hour.

"Well, I'll answer that for you right now, it's _me._" Kelly teased as she elbowed him.

Dylan nodded; "I guess I am more accustomed to water sports."

"I'll take a chance on you anyway McKay. Come on" she said as she pulled his arm and joined the queue.

* * *

After their first couple of matches, they realised that they actually weren't that bad at volleyball. They worked well together—not that it was overly surprising to them. They had always had a rhythm with each other in anything they did.

"That was pretty good for a surfer boy." Kelly said as Dylan put a hand on his back and sat down on the deck chairs with a thump. "Even though you're now walking around like an old man." she said with a laugh as she took a sip of water.

"You have me diving all over the place Kel, can you blame me?"

"Well, I owe you one back massage when this is over." she promised as he took the water bottle from her.

"I'm going to hold you to that. So, what do you want to do to celebrate our first victory?"

Kelly groaned; "I can't, I promised my mom I'd babysit. It's her first night out with Mel. Want to help?"

"Sure, why not?"

Kelly looked at him surprised; "Really? I could rent a movie?" she offered.

"Yeah, Casablanca, have you seen it? The original is out on video."

Kelly raised her eyebrows; "Dylan, you know I _hate_ black and white movies."

"Are you _seriously_ telling me you hate Casablanca?" How could he not know that she hated his favourite movie? He definitely would have rectified this sooner if he had known.

"I've never seen it because I _hate black and white movies._" she repeated exacerbated.

Dylan feigned disgust; "How has our friendship survived this long without you having seen Casablanca? I'm a terrible friend for not having introduced you to it already, prepare to be _amazed_."

"Alright, fine..." she said, giving in after she saw how riled up he was getting about it. "But you better bring plenty of popcorn."

"Deal."

* * *

That night, Dylan arrived as promised with plenty of popcorn and Kelly rented Casablanca as promised too. Dylan gave Kelly a brief opening synopsis of what the movie was about as they settled into the sofa. Kelly lay across the sofa with her feet on Dylan's lap as he played with the ribbon at the top of her socks.

"So... the movie is about an affair?" Kelly questioned, not all that impressed. Why would Dylan be so invested in a movie about a stupid affair?

"If you could call it that. I prefer to view it as a complex and deeply emotive love story." Dylan reasoned.

Kelly quirked an eyebrow. "I don't know Dylan, an affair is an affair."

"It'll make you sympathise with some people who have affairs."

Kelly scoffed; "I doubt that. Cheating is cheating." she repeated again.

"I'm not kidding." Dylan said as he turned around a little to face her. "Rick and Isla have this connection that at times doesn't make sense, but it defies everything in their lives. It complete consumes them. When they see each other in Casablanca it's like they were never apart. Their bond is there in an instant and it ignites a fire in their souls. Eventually, Rick realises that if he loves her... he has to let her go. It's hard to imagine having a passion and love for someone that's so strong, you'd be willing to sacrifice yourself for their happiness." he explained with such passion, yet also with a hint of sadness, in his voice. Kelly gulped. They hadn't even started the movie and already she sympathised with them. She understood _exactly_ what that felt like. "They couldn't get their happy ending, but their love story from their time in Paris was enough to sustain them for the rest of their lives... that's just how strong and meaningful it was."

Kelly raised an eyebrow; "Spoiler alert."

"Sorry..." he said sheepishly. He just got a little carried away when talking about this film. He didn't know why, but he felt so connected to it. Like they were talking about him. He looked at Kelly and realised that maybe in some way, they were.

"They do say that the deeper the love, the deeper the tragedy." Kelly commented. She had always been a little cynical when it came to love. She wasn't sure it existed and those that claimed to be in a deep and consuming love? They were found to be left with a deep pain.

"Maybe... but tragedy is also a part of life. It can't always be perfect. When you experience pain and tragedy, but also love and passion... that's when you know you're_ alive._" Dylan commented. "Tragedy may come but it shouldn't make you afraid to feel and afraid to be loved. To feel a passion like Rick and Isla, to feel a love like that..." he said as he stared directly into Kelly's eyes. "...I reckon that's hitting the jackpot in life."

Kelly was completely taken aback by his words. She didn't know what it was like to feel so alive with the passion of love but boy did she want to. Before she could say anything else, their intense stare was broken by Erin's cries through the baby monitor.

"Come on" Kelly said as she hopped off the sofa and pulled him up.

Dylan shifted awkwardly; "Kel, I already told you, I'm not good with babies, I'll probably make her cry more." There was a reason he refused to hold her when he first met Erin. He was just so scared of dropping her and maiming her. Kelly definitely wouldn't forgive him for that.

"I'm willing to take a chance on you McKay, come on, you've got to start somewhere." She said as she dragged him towards the stairs. "If you become a dad one day, you can't just refuse to hold your baby because you don't think you're any good with them." she reasoned.

They walked into Erin's room and over to her crib, "Oh Erin..." Kelly said before turning to Dylan. "Pick her up would you?"

"Kel-" Dylan protested. The last thing he wanted to do was make Erin cry anymore than she already was. "I'm telling you, I don't know anything about babies."

"She won't bite you Dylan, she doesn't have any teeth." she teased.

"I can't believe you'd put your sister's life in my hands like this" He whined as he lifted Erin up and Kelly walked towards the door.

"Stop being so dramatic Dylan, you've got this, I promise." she assured him.

Dylan awkwardly tried to calm Erin down while Kelly went downstairs to get her bottle. Eventually, he managed to manoeuvre her in his arms in a way that immediately soothed her. He kept talking to her and she stared at him with wonder, completely calmed by the sound of his voice. Turns out he was a natural after all. Kelly listened to him through the monitor as he gently spoke to Erin.

_"You've got a pretty good set up here, do you know that? With your mom and your dad and your brother David and your sister Kelly. You know your sister is one of the best people I know Erin, you are so lucky to have her"_ she heard him say as she smiled softly. _"But- don't let anybody get too close. You'll only get burned. Rule number one, the only person in this world that you can trust is yourself."_ Dylan told her as Kelly frowned again, before turning off the baby monitor and going upstairs. It was remarkable to her that Dylan could crave passion and love so deeply yet couldn't fully trust a single soul around him. His parents and the Walshes _really_ did a number on him.

* * *

The following day, Dylan and Kelly's volleyball winning streak came to a crashing halt when they lost miserably to Steve and new girl Brooke. At least they could say they had fun while doing it. They pretty much disagreed on everything they did and Dylan told Kelly she should stick to shopping because she was good at that, but they laughed together and there was no better feeling.

That evening after having dinner with her parents, Kelly went to her cabana to get changed for the party that was going on at the club that night. After a brief conversation with David, she opened the cabana and was surprised to find Dylan sitting there. Earlier that day she had told him that she thought it would be a mistake not going to Paris, but her summer wasn't turning out so bad after all—and it was mainly due to him.

"Hey Bogie." She greeted happily, referencing Casablanca. "What are you doing here?"

Dylan stood from his seat and walked towards her. He hadn't stopped thinking about their conversation over Casablanca last night. Even the way she believed in him holding a baby really struck him to his core. It was something so simple, but people rarely believed he could do anything and it meant something to him. The whole evening filled him with desire and hope and _boldness_. He knew he needed to act, he wanted to act, he wanted to take this step- no matter the consequences. He needed her to know how he was feeling for fear of losing her forever.

"Something I should have done a long time ago." he replied before taking her cheeks in his hands and kissing her with all the passionate fire he had for her—and she kissed him right back.

* * *

_A week._ It had been a whole _week_ since Dylan had spoken to Kelly. A whole week since their kiss in the cabana. There had been completely radio silence since. Dylan had tried to call her, but she was always conveniently busy. He tried to find her at the beach but she was never there. She was clearly avoiding him and Dylan was one step away from going to her house and not leaving until she talked to him. Luckily for him, he didn't have to. He went for a walk down at the beach that Thursday morning and spotted Kelly getting out of the water.

He rushed over to her and pulled her arm; "Kelly."

"Hey Dylan" Kelly greeted as happily as she could, but she refused to look him in the eye. "Listen, I can't talk right now, I promised my mom I'd be home in an hour-"

"How long are you planning on avoiding me?" Dylan said as he followed closely behind her.

"I'm not avoiding you."

"Yes, you are, you won't return my phone calls, you haven't been here in a week. Kelly-" he said as he pulled her arm and turned her around. "Something happened between us."

"Nothing happened." Kelly said quickly, with a guilty look plastered all across her face. She knew exactly what had happened between them but she could never admit it. She couldn't admit that she had never felt so _alive_. That it was the best kiss she had ever had. That she felt the fire and the passion Dylan was talking about.

"Do you really want to pretend the other night didn't happen?" he questioned in disbelief.

"We kissed, ok? No big deal, let's just forget about it." Kelly said, trying to downplay the whole thing.

"That was not it, I was there, it was more than that. I wouldn't just risk our friendship on nothing! This is something, it always has been and you know it." Dylan argued back. "Kelly, we've been ignoring what has been going between us for _months_ now and we can't fight it anymore. The karaoke at The Pit, your mom's wedding, Casablanca—I have been replaying those moments in my head over and over again and the only thing I can take from them is that we are a lot more than just friends... and we probably always have been."

Kelly had been replaying those moments in her head too and she had the exact same conclusions. But what use would it be admitting that? Dylan loved Brenda and she knew he wasn't about to give that up for her.

"Dylan, Brenda comes home in a few days. We need to leave it alone-" she simply replied, not wanting to get in to Dylan's confession, no matter how she felt.

"You make it sound real easy." It wasn't easy. It was anything _but_ easy ever since they kissed.

Kelly sighed; "We've gone our whole lives without being something-"

"Apart from that day in the tree house in the 5th grade." Dylan reminded her in a moment of lightheartedness.

Kelly scoffed; "Apart from that... but why should that change now? We're friends Dylan. _Best_ friends in fact and we got a little carried away one night. We missed our chance to be something more. I'm not going to let this get in the way of my relationship with my best friend or your relationship with my best friend or _our_ relationship for that matter. Dylan, you mean the world to me and I'm not going to throw away what we have on a summer fling."

Kelly released her arm from Dylan's gentle hold and lifted her things and rushed away. She hadn't even convinced herself with what she was saying, but she didn't know what else to do.

* * *

That night, Kelly lay on her bed, completely conflicted. She felt like she hadn't explained herself properly to Dylan earlier, but at the same time, she didn't know what else she could have said. Despite her confusion on everything, she found herself driving to Dylan's and knocking on his door. He was surprised to see her considering how she blew him off earlier, but he was glad to see her none the less.

"I just came by because I felt bad about something I said earlier at the beach." she explained as they stood in his living room. "When I said nothing happened between us, that it didn't mean anything—I just don't want what we did to get in the way of real life." she explained.

"Kelly, everything is real to me." he said as he moved closer towards her, causing her breath the catch in her throat.

"You know what I'm talking about."

"You're talking about us."

"There is no us."

"There has _always_ been an us." he responded without missing a beat, as if he knew exactly what she was going to say.

"Dylan..." Kelly said, completely at a loss for what to say next. She was fighting a losing battle with him and with herself. She knew that it probably wouldn't be long before she gave in.

"If you really think there's no us, why did you have to come here and tell me this in person?" he asked.

Kelly let out a breath and spoke softly; "Because I wanted to see you. I _always_ want to see you." she confessed.

Dylan felt his heart beat faster; "At least you admit it."

"Yeah. I admit it. I can't just kiss a guy that I've had this connection with my whole life and pretend that it doesn't mean anything. Something shifted between us all of a sudden but I- I don't know what it means."

"How about- we like each other?" he suggested as he took yet another stop towards her so they were only a breath apart.

"How about- we were both feeling lonely and we went a little too far?" she suggested instead as he moved her hair back and rested his hands on the sides of her neck. She closed her eyes as his nose brushed against hers and she felt her body involuntarily move closer towards his, like he was a magnet.

"I don't think you mean that." Dylan whispered before he captured her lips in a searing kiss. Kelly didn't even try to fight it. She melted into him and they kissed like it was the only thing keeping them alive. His hands slipped around her waist as hers found her way into his hair, clenching one hand into a fist. She didn't even notice he had knocked her earring out and onto the sofa.

Kelly felt Dylan's hands wandering lower and just before they came to her behind, she came to her senses and quickly pushed him away, resting her hand on his chest as they both tried to catch their breaths. Despite how desperately they wanted this to go further, they knew they couldn't.

"What are we going to do?" Kelly asked quietly as Dylan remained silent-_ he had no clue._

* * *

The following day, Dylan and Kelly did what they did best—ignored the very obvious issues in their relationship right now. Dylan found her at the beach and dragged her away from her sun bathing for a day of fun on the jet ski. Afterwards, he tried to convince her to camp out with her at Paradise Cove. They hadn't done so since the summer before freshman year—when they made their infamous pact—and he knew that it was her favourite place on earth. He did everything he could to tempt her, but he was out of luck—especially when David spotted them stealing a quick kiss.

Kelly desperately tried to tell David that it was nothing, and he was willing to forget all about it—if Kelly kept the fact that he had a little make-out session with Nikki Whitt quiet. They reached a deal and for the briefest of moments Kelly felt relieved. Then she remembered that it still didn't erase what happened. She spent the rest of the night sitting in her room thinking about him and thinking about their kisses. She had never been kissed like it before and she knew any other boy she would ever kiss would probably be a let-down in comparison.

Much like yesterday night, she found herself driving almost absentmindedly to Paradise Cove with a pizza in tow. She told herself that she was only going there because she knew Dylan couldn't cook to save his life and he would probably be hungry, so it was her duty as a friend to bring him a pizza.

As she approached their spot at Paradise Cove, she saw him lounging by the fire with a distant look in his face. _What she would give to see inside his mind_. She slowly approached him and took a breath before speaking.

"Who ordered the pizza?" she asked.

Dylan smiled; "Hi" he said before looking up at her.

"Hi... I thought you might be hungry." she said as he took the pizza from her and stood up.

"Of all the beaches in all the towns in all the world she walks into mine..." he quoted from the movie.

Kelly playfully rolled her eyes as they took a seat on the sand; "I don't even know what I'm doing here."

"I do"

"Oh yeah?" Kelly asked with a raised eyebrow; "Why don't you tell me?"

"Because this is probably the last chance we'll have to be alone like this." he said sadly.

Kelly stared at him for a moment before turning around and looking up at the stars (otherwise she probably would have just jumped him there and then with the way he was looking at her.)

"My memory of this place certainly doesn't do it justice." Kelly said as she looked in wonder at the stars above her head. She had been here a few times in the day time, but it had been a long time since she'd been here at night. "Look at all those stars." she said absentmindedly, as Dylan watched her every move, loving nothing more than seeing her smile under the star light. "Did you see that shooting star?!" she asked excitedly. "Wow, that was so beautiful..."

"You know what they say about shooting stars? You can't share them with a friend."

"Well, I guess they weren't talking about us." she said as she nudged him with her knee, before falling back into his chest and letting him hold her for one last night.


	12. Reality Check

_Hi everyone. In regards to the reviews from the last chapter... I do not wish to engage in any arguments because that's not what I want this story to become. It just ruins it for everyone and it makes me not want to continue. All I will say is that if DK is not your thing, kindly respect that it is for others and know you do not have to read it, just like DK fans don't have to read DB stories. It also has nothing to do with the actors who portray the characters and there is no need to copy and paste a review from one story to another, especially when it bares no relevance to the content. At the end of the day, it's just a story and it is just a bit of fun!_

_Anyway, familiar scenes again but with a little twist... enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Twelve- Reality Check

Kelly woke up early the following morning after a surprisingly good night sleep. She took a minute to get her bearings on her surroundings before she felt a hand draped over her waist. She gently shifted her body onto her other side and came face to face with a fast-asleep Dylan. She smiled softly as she watched him let out steady breaths. He was so cute when he slept, his mouth slightly agape and his hair sticking out in all directions. Dylan may have gotten cooler as he got older, but in Kelly's eyes, he'd gotten even more _cute._

He started to stir awake, but Kelly didn't move, keeping her eyes locked firmly with his. He opened his eyes and smiled when he saw Kelly's face.

"Morning camper" he grumbled as he rubbed his eyes; "how did you sleep?"

"Good. Though I think ordering the shooting star may have been a little too much..." she joked. "I forgot how cool it was to sleep out here." They hadn't done this since before freshman year after all.

"Could have been ever better" Dylan said with a groan as he sat up and Kelly slowly followed.

Kelly gulped, realising that the reality check they had been avoiding was about to hit them.

"I'm glad we didn't cross that line." Kelly replied. If they were ever going to go there, it would be without a guilty conscience.

"What are you saying? Just because we didn't have sex nothing happened last night? Who fell asleep in my arms?" he challenged.

"I admit we did connect, but we both know how much you love Brenda." Kelly said, though it caused her heart to hurt saying it out loud. She knew that Brenda changed Dylan's world. She knew that there was a part of Dylan that only Brenda could understand, just like there were parts of him that only she could understand. The compassion in her heart didn't want Dylan to give up something that gave him direction, even if it meant sacrificing meaning in her own life.

"Did I talk about Brenda last night? Am I talking about her right now?"

"I am and you should be."

"Can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me that our friendship hasn't become something more this summer?"

Kelly scoffed and looked at her hands; "I don't think we've ever been just friends... But what do you want me to do Dylan?" she asked, the desperation evident in her eyes. "Do you want to make love so I can prove once again that I've become the class _bimbo_?"

Dylan shook his head; "How can you use the words _make love_ and _bimbo_ in the same sentence?"

Kelly chose to ignore his comments and continue on trying to justify why this had to end—_today_. "Play this out with me Dylan. How are you going to feel when Brenda comes home and asks us what we've been doing this summer? She's already ridiculously understanding about our friendship, something tells me this is ten steps too far."

Dylan merely let out a breath and stood up, running a hand through his messy hair. He knew she was right. He knew what they were doing wasn't right but he didn't want to stop. He_ never_ wanted to stop, not when it felt so good and so _right_.

Kelly stood up and walked towards him, "Our chance to be something passed the moment Brenda Walsh came into town. You and I had what we had this summer and it has to be enough for the both of us. No matter how much that might hurt."

"What are you saying? We'll always have Paris?" he asked, this whole situation having an eerily familiar feel to it.

Kelly smiled; "Thanks for not doing your dodgy Bogart imitation."

* * *

Kelly drove home with an incredibly heavy heart. She gave grumbled responses to her family as they asked her where she had been all night and she quickly went into her room and shut the door, sulking down onto her bed. She grabbed Winston and held him close to her chest, allowing one single tear to slip down her cheek. She would never have imagined that after only a few weeks of having something with Dylan, it would hurt so bad. She knew she had to put on a brave face, however. She knew she had to keep up appearances—which meant getting washed and dressed and over to the Walsh house to greet Brenda when she got home.

As she finished clipping her hair back, there was a knock at the door and David appeared.

"Hey. Where were you last night?" he asked as he sat on the bed.

Kelly sighed; "Long story that's not worth telling." she simply replied, and David knew it was best not to pry further—probably because he knew it would involve Dylan.

"Are you looking forward to seeing Brenda and Donna?" he asked.

"Donna, yes, very much so. Brenda... not so much." she replied honestly. It wasn't because of anything Brenda did, it was because of what_ she_ did. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to look her friend in the eye. "Dylan too" she mumbled, but mumbled loud enough for David to hear.

"So you and Dylan kissed once, you said nothing happened, right?" He asked.

"Right, nothing happened." Kelly said a little too quickly, but David seemed to buy it.

"You guys have been friends forever and you and Brenda are so close too. Don't let a stupid kiss get in the way." David encouraged as Kelly nodded. "Come on, you're designated driver." he reminded her as she lifted her keys and her purse and walked out the door.

* * *

When Kelly arrived at the Walsh house, she got a lot more from Brenda than she was expecting. Apparently since being in Paris, she had started smoking and also had a summer _fling._ It almost ended in her travelling around Europe with him, but she stopped herself from going when she remembered how much she loved Dylan. Kelly started feeling less guilty when she heard about the fling—right up until Brenda confessed her love for her boyfriend. Then she was brought right back down to Earth.

"_Brenda, Dylan's here!" _they heard Cindy call from downstairs. Brenda quickly put out her cigarette, sprayed some mouth spray and fixed her appearance before skipping out the door to greet her boyfriend.

When they made it down stairs, Kelly stood awkwardly on the stair case as Dylan and Brenda hugged and kissed each other. She quickly averted her gaze when the kissing started, not enjoying how much it hurt to see Dylan kiss someone else.

After an evening of laughter with their friends, and a multitude of stolen glances between Dylan and Kelly, everyone started packing it in for the night, wanting to be rested up before their last weekend of freedom before school started. As everyone made their exit from the Walsh house, Kelly and Dylan were the only two left standing. They stared at each other for a moment before Brenda walked over and Kelly looked away—but Dylan kept staring.

"You stay here." Brenda said to him, finally breaking his stare. "Unless you already have plans. Hey Kelly" Brenda called as she spotted her friend almost out the door. "Can you hang for a while? We could watch a movie or something? Oo, how about Casablanca?"

_"No!"_ Kelly and Dylan both exclaimed at the same time as Brenda frowned.

"Why not?"

"Oh, I'm the designated driver tonight, I should probably go..." Kelly said as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

"That's fair... but _you_" Brenda said as she poked Dylan in the chest. "What do you have against Casablanca? I thought it was your favourite film."

"It is my favourite film."

"You know," Brenda said as she turned back to Kelly, "Casablanca is Dylan's favourite film, but he _refuses_ to watch it with me. He refuses to watch it with _anyone_. It's just that special to him."

Kelly's mouth fell open slightly as she looked straight at Dylan who was looking at her with sad eyes. He couldn't watch that movie with Brenda, yet he jumped at the chance to watch it with _her_? She really didn't know what to think about that. She tried to push it to the back of her mind so she didn't _overthink_ it.

"I guess some things are a little too personal. Even movies." Kelly said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow Kelly" Brenda said happily.

"Goodnight Kel." Dylan said smoothly as he gave her a tight-lipped smile.

"Yeah. Goodnight." she said before swiftly leaving the house.

* * *

The following day, Kelly spent the whole time at the beach avoiding Dylan and Brenda like the _plague_. She stuck around the cabana, helping Jackie with Erin and any time Dylan tried to talk to her, she brushed him off, saying they had nothing to talk about. She was doing yet again what they did best—ignoring the problem and hoping it would go away.

That night, Kelly decided to take a stroll on the beach before heading home to get ready for school. It appeared that Dylan had the same idea, as he found her near the water, the Santa Anas blowing through her blonde locks.

"Hi" he greeted quietly as Kelly wrapped her cardigan tighter around her, as if she was trying to protect herself from him. Dylan had noticed over the years that when Kelly felt vulnerable or afraid or insecure, she wrapped her arms or her clothes around her body, as if it provided her with some sort of comfort. He noticed it every time she did it and he certainly noticed it now. He hated that she felt she had to do that with him. That she couldn't be open with him.

"Hi... you don't have to keep checking up on me you know." she told him as she kicked the sand beneath her feet.

"That's not what I'm doing. I just wanted to say thank you for yesterday... and for the whole summer. I had a lot of fun with you. I always do." Dylan said as he stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Dylan, I'm happy for you and Brenda. I always have been. She's been the best thing to ever happen to you-"

"_I disagree._" Dylan said without missing a beat and staring directly into Kelly's eyes, causing her breath to catch in her throat.

"I guess that's your prerogative. Either way... you're meant to be." Kelly said quietly, but Dylan didn't buy her words at all.

"So you're telling me to go back to Brenda and forget everything that happened?"

Kelly shrugged; "We'll always have Paris." she said as she turned to leave, but Dylan grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him till their noses met.

"That's not funny anymore." he said quietly.

"Nothing lasts forever." she replied before he swiftly tilted his head and kissed her with everything in him. She allowed herself to get swept up in his as they wrapped their arms around one another and their lips molded together perfectly.

They soon pulled apart and rested their foreheads against each other's.

"What was that for?" Kelly asked in a whisper.

"I'm just kissing you like it's the last time." Dylan said, making yet another reference to Casablanca, the movie that was once his had become _theirs_ over the summer.

Kelly held her emotions back as she released her arms from around Dylan's body and walked away, holding onto his hand until the last second possible. When she finally turned around she allowed the tears she was fighting to fall down his cheeks as Dylan looked out over the ocean, the pain on his face speaking to what he was feeling in his heart.

He guessed Kelly was right—nothing lasts forever.

* * *

The following Monday, everyone was back at school with great anticipation for their senior year. They didn't know what was around the corner, and they could only hope that it would be a good one. Kelly wasn't quite as excited as the others. She felt like her life had hit a slump and she had no idea where to go from here. She didn't know what she wanted to do with her life, she didn't have a boyfriend and most importantly, she didn't have Dylan. Something told her that their friendship couldn't go back to what it was after the summer, and that hurt her more than anything. The turn in their relationship meant that now, it was all or nothing.

Kelly walked into her first class with a sigh that turned into an even bigger sigh and a forced smile when she saw Dylan sitting in the middle of the room. He lightly waved at her and pointed to the seat next to him. He was really glad to see her, even if she wasn't so glad to see him.

"McKay..." Kelly greeted, mustering as much enthusiasm as she could about having to spend the year sitting beside him. "I didn't know you were in this class."

"Hablo espanol muy bien chica" he said as he cleared his throat proudly and Kelly chuckled.

"Well I don't _hablo_ at all."

"I uh—I tried calling you last night." Dylan told her.

"I was at home all night..." she replied, wondering why she never received this mysterious call.

"I hung up when David answered." Dylan confessed. In any normal circumstance, nobody would question Dylan calling Kelly, but since David knew something happened between them, he didn't want to take any chances with the whole thing.

"That was you? He said he got a heavy breather." Kelly said with a smile. "What did you want?"

"I just thought we should talk before we walked in here again for another year."

Kelly nodded her head; "Don't sweat it McKay" she said quietly.

"Hey guys!" they heard a voice say as their heads shot up and their faces fell.

"Brenda. Hi." Kelly said quickly.

"How great is this? We're finally all in the same class!" she said happily as Dylan and Kelly looked at each other in disbelief, before Kelly looked away in total despair.

* * *

"I don't know if I can stick a whole year of this." Kelly said to David that night in her room as she explained how they were all over each other in school and how she now had to deal with them in class too.

"Kelly are you in love with Dylan?" David asked, not beating around the bush at all.

_"No!"_ Kelly exclaimed a little too quickly for David's liking.

"I'm just saying, you guys have been really close for a long time, it's just surprising that those feelings haven't arisen. You clearly have a connection, everyone can see it, even Brenda." David pointed out.

"We are just two friends who got a little carried away one time." Kelly said, lying through her teeth. "I just can't stand being in every class with him and Brenda, that's all. You know what they're like, it's just so intense and volatile most of the time..." Kelly complained, before David moved on to complain about his Donna and Nikki problem.

* * *

It didn't take long for Kelly to decide that it would probably be best for her to change her schedule around. She claimed she wanted to take art with Donna, despite knowing she was terrible at art. At this stage, she would do anything to avoid Dylan and Brenda.

As luck would have it, however, she walked into school that Wednesday morning and ran straight into Dylan just outside the door.

"I didn't see you in class yesterday, did you skip?" he asked as Kelly pushed some of her hair behind her ear.

"I changed my schedule around, I wanted to take art with Donna." she explained.

Dylan laughed; "Taylor you couldn't draw a straight line if you had a ruler." Did she really think he didn't know what about her?

Kelly glared; "well then I guess it's time I learned."

"Maybe... this is yours, I think?" Dylan asked, holding up one of her earrings. She had completely forgotten she'd lost it at Dylan's the infamous night of their passionate kiss.

"Thank you, I've been looking for that." she said as she took the earring from him.

"Don't thank me, thank Brenda. She's the one who found it."

Kelly's face immediately fell. "You didn't tell her, did you?"

"No, I said it was my mother's." he replied, not feeling too good about inventing yet another lie about his summer.

"Guess I won't be wearing those earrings anymore." she said as she threw it into the bush beside them. "I didn't like them anyway."

"For what it's worth, if you hadn't changed your schedule, I would have. That way it would have been more comfortable for everybody." Dylan told her.

Kelly sighed; "Dylan, I am not doing this to make it more comfortable for everybody. Just for me. You and Brenda have each other and I don't begrudge you that, but I don't have to sit around and watch you two with a perpetual lump in my throat." she said boldly.

Kelly tried to move past Dylan, but he hold onto her when she reached his side.

"How did you think I felt whenever I saw you with Jake?" he told her quietly as her head shot up to look at him. He was really that jealous about Jake?

"That's not_ fair._" Kelly said as her voice started to break.

"It's the_ truth_."

Kelly simply wiggled her arm free of his hold and walked away from him yet again, wishing more than anything that this whole thing would be done, but something told her that it was far from over.


	13. Piece By Piece

_Things start to get back on track for Dylan and Kelly in this chapter. Enjoy!_

_Based on 3x09-10_

* * *

Chapter Thirteen- Piece by Piece

Over the next few weeks, Kelly continued to mope around school and avoid Dylan at all costs. They had stopped their Thursday afternoon peach pie eating sessions at the Pit and it was bothering both of them more than they would dare let on. The only reason it didn't happen over the past three years was if they weren't in the country. Even if they were sick they still went just to sit even for a few minutes, so it felt so strange to have cut it out of their lives.

When anybody asked what was wrong with them after their bad moods became glaringly obvious, they were both quick to brush it off as nothing or say they were just worried about college. Truth was, neither of them cared all that much about college, but an excuse was an excuse.

When Kelly found out one night, however, at the Pit that Dylan didn't want to go to college, she was taken aback. She always knew that he wasn't all that interested in going, but he figured he would come around to the idea. He was a smart guy, he should make the investment in his future. She reckoned what bothered her the most is that she heard from someone else that he wasn't interested and not from Dylan himself. This was the sort of thing they talked about, but she knew that they had a new reality now. A new reality that cut each other out from their lives in a way they didn't want.

It wasn't until Brenda asked to speak to Kelly one day in school about Dylan that she decided she wanted— scratch that- that she _needed_ her friend back in her life.

"Kelly, do you think Dylan and I have anything in common?" Brenda asked as they sat in the quad.

Kelly frowned; "Where did that come from?"

"From my dad. We had a talk last night and couple of things he said really got to me." Brenda began explaining. "I figured since you know Dylan probably better than any of us do, you would be the best judge. Lately it's like Dylan and I are on two different wave lengths."

"In what way?"

"First of all, I went over to his house to talk about college and all he wanted to do was work on his motorcycle." Brenda said with a sigh.

Kelly tried to hold back her smirk_. Classic Dylan_—she thought. "Brenda, he's your boyfriend, not your Siamese twin. You can lead separate lives and still go out." While Dylan and Kelly never dated, they were a prime example of two different personalities forming a strong bond and relationship. Hell, they had been friends since they were 5 years old, not many friendships could survive that long and the key was in accepting each other for who they were.

"Dylan's not very ambitious. I guess he doesn't have to be with all that money." Brenda added on.

"Is that a problem for you?" Kelly asked. She wasn't sure she liked hearing Dylan described in that way. He didn't let that money define him in the slightest. In a way, he resented it because he felt a lot of pressure having that kind of money in his hands, so she didn't think it was fair for Brenda to say that.

"I didn't think it was until my dad mentioned it." Brenda said sadly.

"Well, have you talked to Dylan about it? Nothing can be resolved until you do that." Kelly pointed out.

"Not yet."

"Why not?"

"Because what if my father is right?" Brenda confessed quietly as Kelly moved her hair behind her ear. She understood how frustrating Dylan could be, but just because he didn't have Brenda's drive doesn't mean that he wasn't worth her, or anybody's time.

"Then you seriously need to think about what you want." Kelly advised vaguely.

"Maybe he's too young to have ambitions, maybe we could find something-"

"Brenda" Kelly said, cutting her friend off before she said anything else completely ridiculous, "It's not fair to try and change him into who you want him to be. You would never change for him, would you?"

"No. I guess not..." Brenda said as she looked at her feet.

It was then that Kelly realised she _had_ to talk to Dylan. He was struggling with getting acceptance over this whole college thing. She just had the strangest feeling in the pit of her stomach that her friend needed her- no matter where they were at in their relationship. So, that night, after thinking up a lame excuse to go and see him, Kelly drove over to his house and hesitantly knocked on his door.

As he opened it, the expression on his face softened when he saw Kelly shifting awkwardly on her heel and fiddling with something in her hands.

"Hi" she greeted cautiously as Dylan moved the phone from his ear and covered the speaker.

"Hi" he replied, surprised but glad to see her.

"Bad time?"

"No, come in" Dylan said as he held out his hand. Kelly slapped hers into his and allowed him to pull her inside. He closed the door and put the phone back to his ear. "Brenda- no, everything's fine, I gotta take care of something really quick, can I call you back?"

_"Yeah, sure."_

"Think about what I said."

_"I will. And Dylan? I love you."_

Dylan tilted the phone away from his mouth and stared straight at Kelly. "I love _you._" he said quietly, not entirely convincing himself he meant that about Brenda.

He hung up the phone and watched as Kelly wandered into his patio and ran her fingers over his bike. She remembered when he bought this thing. It was the Christmas of freshman year and in typical Dylan fashion, he was looking for a thrill. He had planned to fix it up, but life—and a case of alcoholism and being kicked out of his house—got in the way and it was put on the back burner. Kelly was glad to see he was getting around to it now. Dylan didn't finish many things in life and she hoped this could be one of them.

"So, Taylor, what brings you by?" Dylan asked as he leaned against the wall.

Kelly raised an eyebrow; "Since when do I need an excuse?"

"That's a fair point." Dylan conceded. They always called round to see each other unannounced. "I just figured with everything that's going on, I wouldn't be seeing you any time soon..."

"That's also a fair point." Kelly said as she looked back at the bike. "Brenda said you were working on your bike, it looks great. I found these wrenches in my garage. One of my step dads must have left them behind and god knows Mel doesn't know what to with tools so here, thought you could use them." she said as she handed him the wrapped tools.

Dylan walked forward and took them from her before sitting down on his bike; "Thanks."

Kelly stuck her hands in the pockets of her jeans, figuring now was the time to really confess why she was here. "You know, I've been moping around for the past few weeks."

Dylan nodded slowly; "I noticed." _Of course_ he noticed. He _always_ noticed her. He'd noticed her from the moment he saw her all those years ago and he never let his eyes leave her since.

"I thought it was just college stuff but the truth is..._ I miss you_." she confessed as Dylan gulped and looked down at his hands. "I miss our friendship, I miss teasing each other about the stupidest things, I miss getting some peach pie with you every Thursday, I miss talking to you about anything and everything. I miss my best friend." she said with a little shrug as Dylan stayed silent. He wasn't sure he could ever put into words how much he missed her, so he just let Kelly keep talking. "I keep avoiding you but why should I? Why do I need an excuse like a set of wrenches to talk to you like before?" she questioned.

Dylan smiled; "A very nice set of wrenches."

Kelly smiled back at Dylan's attempt to ease the tension. "You and I are the only two people in the whole school who haven't gone completely _manic_ about this whole college thing... and the fact that I only found out how you felt about college the other day really got to me. Normally, I would have been the first person you called."

"Trust me, you were the first person I _wanted_ to call." Dylan confessed. It had been killing him that he couldn't just pick up the phone and call her about everything. He knew she was the only person who would get it. Sure, she might try and convince him to go, but she wouldn't harp and on and on at him about it. She would respect his choice, especially when it wasn't one she was sure she could make herself. "I guess we both had a pretty good idea of what we don't want and in my books that's just as important as knowing what you do want."

Kelly nodded; "Agreed... _so!_" she said happily, changing the subject to more upbeat matters, "Am I ever going to get to ride this thing?" she teased with a raised eyebrow. He had promised her the first ride back when he bought it, so she was hoping he'd follow through on his word.

Dylan clicked his tongue; "I think so." he replied without a second though.

Kelly smiled; "Good. I'll see you tomorrow Dylan." she said as she ran her hand over his shoulder and walked through the house and out the door, with Dylan staring longingly after her, wishing she didn't have to leave.

* * *

A few days later, Kelly was walking through the quad with a spring her step. For the first time in what felt like forever, things were starting to look up for her. She finally had her friend back and to add to it, her father was coming into town and taking her out for dinner. She couldn't wait to tell her friends all about it, and eagerly skipped over to Dylan when she spotted him walking in her directly.

"Guess who has dinner reservations at Spago this weekend?" Kelly asked happily as she rocked on her heels and clasped her hands together.

Dylan scrunched up his nose; "Are people still eating at_ Spago_?"

Kelly rolled her eyes; "Well, I'll let you know after I go there with my father."

Dylan raised his eyebrows, not quite believing what he was hearing. Bill Taylor was like Big Foot around here. He was probably the only one out of the gang to ever see him in the flesh.

"Your dad's in town?" he questioned in disbelief.

"He called he's coming in Friday night for _sure._" Kelly said confidently.

Dylan scratched the back of his neck; "Right."

Kelly's face fell slightly; "Can you not sound so sceptical?"

"I'm not Kel, I just—I know your dad and I know his track record for showing up. I don't want you to be disappointed." he said as he rested his hand on her arm.

"I won't because he's coming." Kelly said with certainty as she crossed her arms.

"I take it that means you're missing the dance?"

"I'm afraid so." Kelly confirmed. She had been on the committee with Brenda and Donna, but this was much more important. She_ never_ got to see her dad.

"Well, a dance without Kelly Taylor isn't really a dance at all." Dylan teased.

Kelly giggled; "Aren't you _sweet_?" she mocked.

"Does that mean if I get a note from my dad, I don't have to go?" he asked as they spotted Brenda approaching them.

"I think you'd have to take that one up with your girlfriend" she said as she patted his shoulder. "See you later!"

Kelly continued to bounce happily along as Brenda approached Dylan.

"Hey, did you hear?" Brenda asked, the panic evident in her voice.

"Hear what?"

"The dance might be cancelled and it's all Brandon's fault." Brenda moaned. "I can't _believe_ he would do this, I'm so mad I can't even talk about it anymore."

"Well then let's not talk about it." Dylan suggested as they started to walk through the quad.

"If it is cancelled, why don't we go to Spago so I can finally meet Kelly's dad?" Brenda asked as Dylan stopped her and grimaced.

"Bill Taylor is not a man I want to meet again and honestly, I doubt he'll even show up." Dylan said. He truly had no desire to meet the man who constantly let Kelly down and gave her serious trust issues. He wasn't sure he would have anything_ remotely_ pleasant to say to the man.

Brenda frowned; "Why not?"

"He's got a track record of letting Kelly down and I'd rather she didn't have a repeat of what happened last time he didn't show up." Dylan said.

"What happened last time?"

Dylan didn't want to spill all the details to Brenda. It wasn't his story to tell. "She just wasn't herself for a long time." he replied vaguely.

"Maybe he'll surprise her." Brenda said optimistically.

"Doubtful."

Brenda sighed; "Maybe you should stop pretending like you know Kelly's situation Dylan. Maybe she knows more about it than you do." she snapped. "I have to go." she quickly said before storming off, leaving Dylan frustrated and fed up with her constant complaining.

* * *

After promising Brenda he'd swoop in for the last song at the dance, Dylan made his way round to the Pit for a bite to eat to kill some time.

"Hey Nat" he greeted as he walked to the counter. "What you got for me tonight?"

"Try table in the corner" Nat said as he nodded his head and put a burger and a milkshake down in front of him.

Dylan look around and saw Kelly sitting there in what looked like a brand-new blue dress, kicking her leg and twiddling her thumbs.

"Whatever you do, _don't_ compliment her on her dress." Nat warned him as Dylan sighed, lifted the food and took it over to Kelly. He could already guess what had happened and to say that he was mad would be an understatement. How could someone not want to know Kelly Taylor? How could her own father not want to be in her life? She was amazing and he was going to make sure she knew it.

"Nat used to tell me that there were very few problems a mega burger couldn't solve." Dylan said as he set the food down and sat opposite her.

Kelly wiped the tears from her cheeks and looked up at him; "He didn't even bother to call this time. He had a woman who claimed to be his secretary call and leave a message for me at Spago. Your father is very sorry but he'll make it up to you next time." she recited, feeling completely ashamed and embarrassed that she actually believed he would show up.

Dylan sighed; "Some things never change."

"Do you remember what happened last time this happened?"

Dylan nodded softly; "Yeah. You called me in tears, then hung up and I spent the whole weekend trying to find you... and when I did you were in Cliff Burman's house getting high. I didn't sleep for one moment that weekend. I took you to the Bellage, got you showered and sobered up... you fell asleep in the middle of my bed in your towel, you were so exhausted."

Kelly scoffed at the memory. She was such a mess and he was so sweet to her. "At least you found me. My mother didn't even know I was gone she was so coked up."

Dylan leaned back in his chair; "Well, I hear Cliff's in town. We can call him right now if you want to."

Kelly frowned; "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying some people _do_ change Kel." Dylan was a keen example of this philosophy. He definitely wasn't the same guy he was three years ago.

"I was so messed up back then."

"You and me both. Thank goodness we had each other." he said as he took her hands in his over the table.

Kelly looked at him with soft eyes and a soft smile; "You were about the only good thing in my life."

Dylan ran him thumbs over Kelly's knuckles and smiled. Some days, Kelly was the only good thing in his life right_ now _let alone back then_. _"You know, I was right."

"About what?"

"A dance without Kelly Taylor really isn't a dance at all. It's just a bunch of people waving their limbs around to some very loud music." he said, trying to make her laugh, which she did, if only lightly.

"Very loud David Silver music." he corrected, since Brenda and Donna had hired David to play at the dance.

"So, what do you say Taylor? You want to dance? Though, it's not a one-time offer. It can wait." he said, recycling his famous line he constantly found himself using with her. He thought it would be good for her to take her mind of things, but he also didn't want to push it if she really wasn't feeling up to it.

Kelly raised her eyebrow; "You've already had your dance for 1992." she replied, remembering how she finally gave into him and danced with him at her mother's wedding.

"Yeah, but it was interrupted by Jake. You owe me a full song."

Kelly pondered for a moment before nodding her head. "Ok." she said. As Dylan moved to get up, Kelly stopped him. "Dylan? I don't know whether to laugh or cry."

"Nobody does." he assured her.

Kelly took a quick few bites of her burger, causing Dylan to laugh at her frantic movements. She was clearly keen to get to the dance, but wasn't too keen to go on an empty stomach. She wiped her mouth and stood from the table, allowing Dylan to wrap his arm around her shoulders and pull her tightly next to him.

_Boy_ was it good to have him back.


	14. Paint, Lies and Letters

_Hi everyone! Just to let you know I probably won't be able to post tomorrow or Saturday, so hang tight till Sunday! I'll do my best to squeeze another one in this weekend. _

_For now, this is another one of my favourite chapters with a pivotal moment at the end... enjoy!_

_Based on 3x12-13_

* * *

Chapter Fourteen- Paint, Lies and Letters

Ever since her father had failed to show up and Kelly and Dylan's friendship moved back on track, Kelly began looking for something to spruce up her life. She thought about getting a haircut, but decided she wasn't quite ready to part with her blonde locks just yet. She attempted to grow some plants, but managed to kill them within three days. She even considered finally giving in to Dylan and learning how to surf, but then he got sick from the dirty water and she chickened out.

Kelly played it relatively safe with her final idea—painting her room. She got a video from the store on how to paint your room and they told her that she should definitely go with black, though she was starting to regret her choice. As she stared at her wall, questioning_ all_ her life choices at this point, the phone rang.

"Hello?" she greeted down the line.

"Hey Taylor, it's me. What you doing?" she heard Dylan ask

"Oh hey, I'm just painting my room. I got a video that told me black was dramatic and edgy but as you can imagine I'm_ seriously_ regretting my choice right about now." she said as she clicked her tongue.

Dylan let out a laugh, "There's nothing dramatic and edgy about you Taylor."

Kelly gasped; "I resent that."

"Ok, I'll give you dramatic" he said as he shook his head. "You know, you could still give surfing a go. That would definitely add some thrill into your life."

"And some frustration into yours, I would be the _worst_ student, you know I have balance problems." Kelly reminded him. She could barely ride a bike without falling over.

"That's true, but you really don't know what you're missing Taylor."

_"Sponging!"_ Kelly suddenly exclaimed.

Dylan frowned; "What?"

"I should try sponging. That's different, that's cool. Maybe a blue or a green..."

"You need to get out of the house."

Kelly sighed; "you sound like my _mother._" Jackie had just been in her room telling her that she shouldn't spend her senior year held up in her bedroom just because everyone had a significant other but her. "But I'm really ok."

"That does not sound like the Kelly Taylor I know." Dylan replied.

"Have you been talking to my mother because that is _exactly_ what she said to me." Kelly said in disbelief. It wouldn't surprise her if Jackie thought to ring Dylan to try and get Kelly out of this funk.

"No, we're just both observant." Dylan told her. "Why are you desperate to paint your room anyway?"

"I told you Dylan, I just want a change." Kelly replied. Truthfully, she felt like her life was going nowhere and right now, painting her room was the only thing she could take control of.

"Well then sponging sounds great..." he said, trying to sound as supportive as he could over paint.

Kelly giggled. The number of ridiculous and insignificant things he had to support her on over the years was really quite numerous. "Thank you for your support... what's new with you?" Kelly asked, knowing that it was probably nothing good in the midst of the SAT fiasco.

"Oh nothing, just writing an angry letter to the SAT people about their screw up." Dylan said with a sigh. He couldn't believe they thought he was cheating, and he couldn't believe that the Walshes were just telling him to retake the test. "I mean, you understand why I don't want to take this test again, right?"

Kelly nodded; "Yeah, I get it. I don't see any harm in exhausting all options first. They're the ones who screwed up after all."

"_Exactly_."

"Though if you did take it you could prove that it wasn't just a fluke. That would be a way to really show them." Kelly said with a little laugh.

"Yeah, I'm not sure going through that torture again is fair on me."

"I know. It'll work out Dylan, you have to believe that."

"I do. Thanks Taylor."

Before he could say anything else, the doorbell rang. "Hold on a second" he said down the line. He opened the door and saw Brenda on the other side who swiftly barged her way in.

"Hi!" she greeted happily as she sat down at the table.

"Hi..." he greeted with a sigh, not sure if he was ready to deal with the fight he knew was about to come, all because Brenda was yet again trying to take control of his life. They just weren't on the same page about anything these days. "Taylor, I gotta go, Brenda just got here."

"Oh ok, no problem. I'll see you tomorrow?" she asked.

Dylan smiled softly; "With bells on. Bye."

* * *

A few hours later, Kelly was staring between her two walls. She had sponged one with blue paint and the other with green and she couldn't decide which colour worked best. She was even beginning to frustrate herself let alone her mother who had to listen to her dilemma all night. As she and Jackie debated between the blue and the green, the phone rang and Kelly quickly answered it.

"Hello? Oh hi Bren, what's up?" she said down the line after hearing her friend's voice.

"Dylan and I broke up." Brenda immediately said as Kelly's face—and heart—_sunk._

"Uh- mom, can we talk tomorrow?" she said quickly to Jackie, who nodded her head and left the room.

"Brenda, what happened?" Kelly asked as she sat on her bed.

"Things finally came to a head I guess. Dylan finally told me he went out with someone this summer."

Kelly's heart sunk further and she gulped; "He did?"

"Well, I always knew there was something going on, it was written all over his face. He didn't say anything to you about it, did he?"

"Uh- no, nothing." Kelly lied through her teeth, the guilt starting to tear through her. "Who was it?" she cautiously asked.

"I don't know and I don't care. We were both fooling around anyway, there must have been a reason."

"I thought you guys would be together forever." Kelly said quietly. She had resigned herself to the fact that Dylan would never let a girl like Brenda go.

"Yeah, me too. I hope I did the right thing..."

"Brenda, are you sure you're not doing this just because Ric is waiting in the wings?" Kelly asked. Ever since Brenda's summer fling had shown up in LA she had been acting weird. She was meeting up with him and growing distant. Something told her that was probably the real reason they broke up.

"Of course not." Brenda swiftly defended. "If Dylan and I stayed together we would just continue to drive each other crazy and hurt each other and I don't want that." she justified.

"Well, I hope it works out for you. It's strange thinking of you and Dylan apart, I don't really know what to say..." Kelly confessed.

There was a knock at the door and Kelly sighed before shouting; "I'm on the phone David!"

The door opened anyway, and Kelly turned around, completely surprised by the figure she saw at the door.

"I didn't mean to scare you" he said as he walked into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Brenda, I've gotta go." Kelly said down the line, not taking her eyes off Dylan for a second.

"What's the matter?" Brenda asked.

"Uh- David just walked in I can't talk." she lied, _again._ It's not like Dylan coming to see her was a weird occurrence, but in this particular circumstance, it was weird.

"Alright, call me back. Bye." Brenda said as she quickly hung up.

"How did you get in? I didn't hear the doorbell." Kelly asked as she stood up and set the phone down.

"I knocked. I didn't want to wake Erin, so your mom let me in." he explained as he looked around the room at her terrible paint job. Maybe he shouldn't have supported her on this venture after all...

"Right... what are you doing here?" she asked as he kept moving closer towards her.

"Helping you paint?"

Kelly repressed a laugh; "Try again."

"Brenda thinks we should start seeing other people."

"So she says. What do you think?"

Dylan stopped just a short distance from her; "I think it's about damn time I started seeing you."

Kelly felt all time stop as Dylan lent down to kiss her, she quickly closed the distance between them without a second thought and kissed him with everything that was in her.

* * *

After spending the weekend fixing up Kelly's heinous paint job together, Kelly cautiously arrived at school, feeling ridiculously paranoid. It's like she and Dylan had gone from 0 to 100 in no time at all and she didn't really know what to think about it. They had a great weekend together. Laughing, kissing, making a complete mess. Something about it felt so right, but the way it happened felt so _wrong._ She felt like she was cheating behind Brenda's back again and she needed to come clean.

As she walked around the quad in a daze, she jumped when Dylan suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Hey Taylor" he greeted as he pulled at her waist.

"Hey, Dylan..." she said as she looked all around her, making sure nobody was paying attention to them. Not that anyone would find this weird, this was entirely normal behaviour for them—even if the conversation would probably turn out a little different.

"I saw you blank me back there..." Dylan told her with a smirk as Kelly grimaced.

"I'm sorry, I'm just feeling a little paranoid this morning." Kelly explained.

"Kelly don't be, we have nothing to hide anymore." he said as he played the fabric of her skirt.

"I know, I just don't want anybody to get hurt..." Kelly responded.

"Well, then you better go to the observatory with me tonight or else I will be hurt _bad_." he said with a pout.

"Dylan, we have to tell Brenda." Kelly said with a sigh.

"Tell her what?"

"_Everything._ I just don't want this to blow up in our faces." As much as she wanted to be with Dylan, she also really valued her friendship with Brenda. She changed her world. She changed_ both_ of their worlds and she didn't want to toss that aside like it meant nothing to her.

"I get that Kel, but sometimes when you care about somebody, honesty isn't necessarily the best policy." Dylan justified. He didn't want to hurt Brenda any more than Kelly did, but surely this was a way to do exactly that?

"I just feel like I need her permission to go out with you or something..."

"The only person you need permission from is yourself." he said quietly before bending down and giving her a quick kiss. He brushed his nose against hers before walking away—and making sure to slap her butt as he did, causing her to turn around with a raised eyebrow, only to find him with a lopsided smirk on his face.

* * *

After hearing Brenda say Dylan was free to go out with whoever he wanted to, Kelly decided to take the plunge and go on the date. She couldn't help but feel a little off about the whole thing. It's not that she didn't want to be with him, she just felt like their timing was wrong. Like now really wasn't the time to be doing this.

But they had a good night. A _great_ night in fact. They went to the planetarium—and spent most of time making out. They sat and looked down at the city while the Santa Anas blew. They didn't know what it was about the Santa Anas, but there was something about them that made them feel so peaceful and centred.

They then went for some dinner where things quickly turned from great to terrible. As they were leaving the restaurant, they ran straight into the last two people they expected to see- Brenda and Ric. To say Brenda exploded would have been an understatement. She in no uncertain terms called Kelly a slut and Dylan quickly reminded her that she was the one who broke up with him—something which really didn't sit right with Kelly.

When they arrived at Dylan's house, a fight quickly ensued over everything that went down.

"Kelly, I didn't force you to do anything." Dylan made clear as Kelly stood defiantly in his living room with her arms crossed.

"Yeah, but you were pretty persuasive. You're the one who said honesty isn't the best policy!" Kelly exclaimed. She knew she should have just been honest with Brenda from the start.

"No, I said honesty isn't _necessarily_ the best policy when you're trying to keep from hurting someone."

"Then why do I feel so horrible?" Kelly asked quietly as she sat down on Dylan's sofa. "Some of the things she said Dylan-"

"Brenda's not really known for beating around the bust and Kel—you know what she said isn't true. Aren't you glad tonight happened?" he asked as he sat opposite her and took her hands in his. "Cause I sure am. Well—maybe not that last part, but I'm glad to be here with you."

"I just can't stop thinking about what you said at the restaurant. How you made a big point to remind her that she broke up with you and not the other way around." she reminded him quietly.

Dylan hadn't meant it like that. He was just frustrated. He was frustrated about how things had ended with Brenda, but that didn't mean he wasn't happy to be here with Kelly. In fact, he was _more_ than happy. He felt at peace with it—even if their timing was maybe a little off.

"All I meant was I don't need her approval to go out with you." Dylan tried reasoning.

"I just feel like I'm here because she's not."

"Kelly, you know that's not true." he said without missing a beat. That couldn't be further from the truth. He wanted her, he had _always_ wanted her.

"No I don't. Maybe you're with me on the rebound-"

Dylan grew even more frustrated and stood up; "Kelly, our whole relationship has been building up to this, can't you see? Didn't this summer mean anything to you? Doesn't what we have mean anything to you?" he challenged.

Kelly's eyes glistened with tears; "It means _everything_ to me... I'm just not sure you feel the same." Truth was, Kelly knew he couldn't be over Brenda that fast and she didn't want him to be with her just because he was feeling lonely. She wanted him to want her for _her_.

"What can I do to convince you?" he asked quietly, not prepared to let her walk out the door, but not knowing what else he could do. He had _royally_ screwed up tonight. He had screwed with Kelly's head and that was the last thing he ever wanted to do.

"I don't think you can do anything. At least, not tonight." she said as she lifted her bag and swiftly left the house, leaving Dylan feeling completely and utterly defeated.

What the _hell_ was he doing?

* * *

When Kelly got home, she rushed up to her room before anyone could see her. Not knowing how upset she was, David went into her room for a chat before bed. As soon as he walked into her room, he took one look at her and she burst into tears. Despite being taken completely aback by this, David quickly rushed across the room and hugged his sister. What the hell had happened that night?

David didn't have to wonder for long. As soon as they broke apart from the hug and he asked her what happened, Kelly spilled her guts. She told him the truth about her summer with Dylan and what was going on with them now—or more like what _wasn't_ going on with them now. David couldn't quite believe the extent of the whole thing, yet a part of him wasn't even remotely surprised. He saw the way Dylan looked at Kelly, _everyone_ saw it. David figured it was only a matter of time before things came to a head between them.

Eventually, Kelly managed to calm herself down and she crawled into her bed and hugged Winston tight to her chest, allowing the final few tears to fall.

"I've kept Dylan at arms-length my whole life." Kelly said quietly as she stared at nothing in particular. "Especially when Brenda came into town."

"I know..." David said, not convinced there was anything he could say that would make it go.

"She assured me she was over him and that Dylan could go out with whoever he wanted and after a lot of soul searching, I went for it—and now _I'm_ the bitch."

David lightly shook his head; "I don't think that's how Dylan thinks of you at all. In fact, when I first met you all-" he began, but realised he probably shouldn't say what he was about to say.

"What?"

David thought about it for a moment and then with a sigh, decided to finish what he was going to say. "When I first met you all, I thought he was in love with you. There was just something in his eyes every time he spoke to you. It's like he was really_ alive._"

"Yeah. I know how that feels." Kelly replied. She didn't really think Dylan was in love with her, but she did know she was in love with him. "I am hopelessly in love with him David and I think I probably always have been. I guess I realised too late."

"I wouldn't give up to easily Kel. Something tells me you two aren't quite finished."

* * *

The following evening, Kelly moped around her house after a horrible day at school. She got in a pretty huge fight with Brenda unsurprisingly and to make matters worse, Dylan had stormed out half way through the day when he found out that he lost his appeal with the SAT people. She had tried to call him, but she figured she was the last person he wanted to talk to right now considering she completely blew him off.

She shuffled through her hallway from the kitchen when an all too familiar song came on the radio.

_I'd tried so, not to give in, I said to myself this affair it never will go so well, but why should I try to resist when baby I know so well, I've got you under my skin..._

The words of the song sent a shiver through Kelly as she was filled with an overwhelming sadness. As she continued towards the stairs, she found herself stopping at the bottom of them and turning around to look at her front door. She had the_ strangest_ feeling, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

She cautiously walked towards the door and just stood behind it. Little did she know, Dylan was standing on the other wise, willing himself to knock it, but knowing that he couldn't_._ It was as if the other knew they were standing there, but were too scared to say anything. Too scared to _do_ anything. They both rested their palms on the door, not understanding how overwhelmed they felt. Kelly allowed a stray tear to travel down her cheek before lowering her hand and walking away from the door.

Dylan gulped as he looked down at the letter in his hand. He was torn and sad and frustrated at how out of control things had gotten. He put the letter through the letter box, before jumping in his car and taking off, knowing that this was the best thing he could do right now.

A few moments later, Kelly walked past the door again and noticed the letter lying on the floor. She walked over to it, picked it up and was surprised to see her name scrawled across the front in Dylan's messy hand writing. He was the only person she knew who still wrote like a 5-year-old. She started to understand why she felt so strange standing behind the door. It was because he was on the other side.

Kelly opened the letter and began to read it with a hitched breath;

_Dear Kelly,_

_I know this seems pretty old school writing you a letter, but I was worried if I called you and heard your voice, I wouldn't go. I've decided to take off for a while and clear my head. I think there's a pretty safe chance if I stayed, I'd go into full destructive mode._

_Please don't worry about me. I promise I'll stay safe and come back to you in one piece. Don't miss me too much Taylor and remember—you were never second choice._

_Dylan x_


	15. I Choose You

_Managing to sneak in a Saturday night update after all! _

_Here we go..._

* * *

Chapter Fifteen- I Choose You

It wasn't until after thanksgiving that Dylan showed his face in Beverly Hills again. Everyone had been worried sick about him, but at the same time, they knew if anybody could look after themselves it was Dylan. He had been doing it his whole life. What nobody expected, however, was that upon his return, Dylan was in a frighteningly good mood. He had a spring in his step and seemed glad to be back at school, which nobody saw coming.

After making up in Dylan's absence, Brenda and Kelly were determined not to let him get between them upon his return. They tried to come up with a solution to their problem. While Kelly had no clue what to do, Brenda had an idea—which Kelly was convinced wouldn't end well. She decided to go along with it anyway, for the sake of her friendships with both of them.

"I'm sure you're wondering why we both wanted to meet you here." Brenda said as she and Kelly sat opposite Dylan in the Peach Pit one Sunday morning.

"I thought you were going to buy me pie...?" he asked with a furrowed eyebrow- that is what Kelly told him after all when she called and asked him to meet them here.

"Yeah, some _humble_ pie." Kelly teased.

Dylan smirked and put a hand over his heart; "Ouch, Kel. My favourite kind."

Kelly rolled her eyes and tried to hide her smirk as Brenda continued talking. _"Seriously._ I don't know about you but these last few weeks have been a nightmare. We're at each other's throats, we're arguing all the time, we can't trust one another."

Dylan nodded his head; "it hasn't been a picnic for me either."

"And that's why we've got to make a change." Kelly said. "Dylan, we both love you."

Hold on... Kelly _loved_ him? Like loved him or_ love loved_ him?

"And find you very attractive." Brenda added, snapping him out of his confusion. "And sexy"

"And... appealing." Kelly said as Dylan raised his eyebrows and sat forward.

"What exactly are you two suggesting...?" he queried as both the girls rolled their eyes at his assumptions. A threesome—_really_ Dylan?

"I think we should all stop trying to hide our mutual feelings, admit them and agree to be friends." Brenda concluded.

"Good friends." Kelly added.

"Platonic friends. We could all use a cooling off period."

"That way none of us will get hurt."

"And we're all on the same boat." Brenda finished explaining.

"What do you think?" Kelly asked.

Dylan thought about it for a moment. He knew he and Kelly would be ok. They were always ok. They always found a way to bounce back. But he and Brenda? They were never friends to begin with, he figured that one would be difficult to manage, but he wasn't about to argue with them about it. Not when he was getting the opportunity to have both of them in his life.

"I think, I love you both and I want to keep it that way." he replied.

Brenda smiled; "Good, that was easy. I need to use the little girl's room." she said before skipping off.

Dylan leaned across the table and eyed Kelly who had looked uncomfortable since the moment she sat down and he could take a wild guess as to why.

"Something tells me this wasn't your idea Kel." Dylan commented.

Kelly raised an eyebrow; "What makes you think that?"

"I know you a little too well." Her idea of a solution was probably complete avoidance of the issue- and of Dylan. He was right. Kelly knew better than to think that this could work, but what else was she supposed to do?

"Ok fine." she confessed. "I'm half expecting this to blow up in our faces but—if this is the only way I get to keep you and Brenda in my life, then I'll do it." she said with a shrug as Dylan nodded his head, wondering how this whole thing was going to end.

* * *

_Badly._ That's how this whole thing ended. Dylan struggled to resist either girls. Brenda had kissed him while they were studying and Kelly had kissed him while they sat in front of the fire one evening. Unfortunately, both girls had found out about Dylan's little indiscretions and stormed out on him yet again. But he felt like he was the one who had the right to be mad about the whole thing. _They_ were the ones who came onto him—though he guessed he could have shown a little more self-control.

Their disastrous attempt at being friends had resulted in Brenda presenting another solution to them—which Kelly reluctantly went along with again.

"_You have to decide who you want to be with on New Year's Eve. You can't have your cake and eat it too._" Brenda told him before leaving the table to hand out some more gifts to the elementary school they were at.

Kelly briefly glanced at Dylan with a sad look on her face, before moving to get up too, but Dylan took with her and held onto her arm, holding her close so only she could hear.

"Another one of Brenda's bright ideas?" he asked.

Kelly gulped, refusing to look at him; "Maybe... but she has a point, don't you think?"

Kelly finally looked up at him and saw the longing in his eyes.

"Don't worry" Kelly said before wiggling her arm free of his hold; "I won't hold your choice against you. We made a pact, remember? _Always._"

Kelly swiftly walked away, figuring that leaving Dylan with the promise that she would never abandon him and what they had when he chose Brenda. _When_, not _if_. Kelly was fairly sure who he wanted. He had wanted Brenda for the past two years, that wasn't going to change all of a sudden—right?

* * *

Dylan spent the next week grappling with his thoughts. This whole 'you have to choose' thing was eating him alive. He had spent every day avoiding them like the plague and it was driving Brandon of all people crazy.

"Dylan, come on. You're going to have to talk to them eventually." Brandon reminded him and he made a swift exit from the school hallway when he spotted them.

"I know that Brandon but they're making me choose and my choice is going to hut one of them." he said as Brandon paused, processing his choice of words. Did he already know who he was going to choose?

"Hey- do you know who you'd chose?" Brandon asked quietly.

Truth was, from the moment Brenda gave him the ultimatum, he knew _exactly_ who he wanted to choose—but he couldn't help but feel guilty about it. He didn't want the other girl to get hurt, but there was no question in his mind as to who he wanted to be with.

"I gotta go." Dylan said as he lightly slapped Brandon on the chest, figuring he wasn't the first person he should be telling his choice to.

* * *

While the girls went for a quick trip to the spa that weekend, Dylan spent most of his day sitting in the Pit, replaying the same old soppy love songs on the juke box—and driving Nat and his customers completely crazy.

He tried to picture his life with both Kelly and Brenda. With Brenda, he saw a lot of children living in a complete mad house, being overwhelmed with life. With Kelly, he saw expensive purchases and an insane amount of debt from her shopping habits.

But, the more he thought about it, they more he knew that wouldn't be the case. With Brenda, he figured they'd be travelling the world as she toured with her hit play. They'd be having the time of their lives as she strived for her ambition.

With Kelly, he saw something sweet and safe yet completely wild and full of love.

_Dylan walked into his house with a beautiful bouquet of flowers in hand and a smile on his face. It was his birthday today, but for some reason, he woke up with the overwhelming urge to spoil his wife rather than waiting around for her to spoil him. He'd never been a big fan of birthdays anyway. _

"_Kelly?" he called as he walked into the dining area._

"_Wait, don't come in!" he heard Kelly shout from behind the kitchen door._

"_What? Is the mail man here again?" he teased._

_Kelly stuck her head out around the door; "He just put his pants back on and jumped out the window..." she teased back as Dylan pretended to be disgusted. "But I have your birthday present and I haven't wrapped it yet." she explained. _

_Kelly took one look at the goofy smile on Dylan's face and couldn't resist not kissing him right there and then. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly and sweetly; "Hi." she greeted properly._

"_Hello Mrs. McKay" Dylan replied as Kelly giggled_

"_I never get tired of hearing that." _

"_These are for you" Dylan said as he removed his arms from around her waist and handed her the flowers._

_Kelly smiled; "They're beautiful, thank you. What did I do to deserve these?"_

"_Am I not allowed to do something nice for you without my motives being questioned?" Dylan said, pretending to be hurt as Kelly put the flowers in the vase on the table._

_"I'll let you away with this one but only because it's your birthday..." she responded as she gave him another quick kiss. "I can't believe another year has come and gone. It feels like only yesterday we were soaking up the sun in Baja for your 30th birthday."_

"Well, t_ime flies when you get what you wished for." Dylan replied._

_"That's true... did you get what you wished for?" Kelly asked._

"_Well you finally let me make an honest woman of you..." he teased as lifted her hand and kissed her wedding bands causing her to giggle. "What about you? Is this life what you wished for?"_

_Kelly scrunched up her nose; "If I say it's more than that are you going to tease me for being a dork?"_

_Dylan chuckled; "Oh yeah."_

_Kelly playfully nudged him before Dylan wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. _

"_I made dinner reservations for tonight." he said as he began kissing down her jaw and neck._

"_Actually, I was thinking we could just stay in, have a quiet dinner, kiss a while... and there is a chance I may be rocking some seriously sexy lingerie underneath these jeans..." she teased as Dylan's hand slipped just below the waist band of her jeans and stopped with a gulp. _

"_Is that so?"_

"_Uh huh..." Kelly said as she turned her head and Dylan kissed her passionately. _

_They hungrily kissed one another as Dylan swiftly turned her around and lifted her up causing her to squeal against his lips as she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist._

"_I love you. So much." Dylan said between kisses._

"_I love you too McKay" she responded before Dylan quickly took her into the bedroom, ready to make love to her until the sun came up._

Dylan was broken out of his trance when Nat came over and poured him yet another cup of coffee.

"Still struggling with your choice?" Nat asked, having heard all about the big ultimatum.

"I just don't want to hurt anybody Nat." Dylan replied quietly.

"You have to follow your heart Dylan, no matter the consequences. Who do you want standing next to you when all your dreams come true? Who do you want standing next to you in your darkest day and your finest hour?"

"I know _exactly _who I want." Dylan said without a moment of hesitation. "I've always known. I've been pretending for weeks like it's this big choice but... it's not."

"Then what's stopping you?"

Dylan sighed; "The other girl... she means a lot to me. She doesn't deserve to get hurt."

"Love can be cruel, but you're not doing either of them any favours by pulling them along and this girl that you love... you can't let her slip away, because you might not get another chance to love her."

While Dylan always knew what he wanted to do, in that moment, Nat had made it simple. As soon as the girls got back from the spa—Dylan knew what he had to do.

* * *

That night, Kelly lay in her bed, completely and utterly _broken_. While they were at the spa, Brenda and Kelly had accidentally uncovered that Mel had been cheating on Jackie which multiple women. It appeared that monogamy was a bit of a joke to men in Beverly Hills and Kelly couldn't quite believe she was losing yet another family.

Suddenly, she heard a light knock on her door. As the door opened, she expected to see David on the other end, but she got a pleasant (or potentially unpleasant) surprise.

"_Dylan?"_ she said quietly as she got out of her bed and stood opposite him. "What are you doing here?"

"My dad's getting out of jail." Dylan told her as Kelly looked at him with wide eyes.

"You're kidding? Dylan, that's _great_." she said as she sniffed and hugged him tightly.

When they pulled apart, Dylan noticed that her eyes were completely blood shot.

"Have you been crying?" he asked as he rested his hands on her cheeks.

"No, no, I just got something in my eye..." she said as she tried to avoid looking at him, but it was no use.

"Kelly..." he said, seeing right through her.

Kelly sighed; "Mel has been having multiple affairs behind my mother's back. Looks like I'm losing yet another family."

"I'm so sorry Kelly" he said as he wiped a few stray tears away with his thumbs. All he and Kelly had ever wanted was a strong, stable and loving family. Was it really too much to ask for? His heart broke that he was getting his dad back, but she was losing one.

"Did you really come all the way over here to tell me your dad got out of jail?" Kelly asked with a raised eyebrow, wondering why he didn't just call her.

Dylan moved away from her and started pacing very lightly on the other side of her room; "I was sitting watching the evening news when the story broke and I immediately remembered something Nat said to me earlier."

"Oh yeah?"

"He said... who do you want standing next to you in your darkest day and your finest hour? Who's the first person you want to call when you have good or bad news? And the answer was simple when he asked me and it was made even simpler now. It's been simple since we were 10 years old and I kissed you in my tree house or when we were 14 and we made that pact on the beach or when we were 17 and I kissed you in your cabana... and I never felt so _alive_." he confessed.

Kelly gulped, feeling her eyes fill with tears yet again. Was he _really_ saying what she thought he was saying?

"Wha- what are you saying?" she asked.

"I choose _you_." he said as he walked closer to her again.

"_What_?"

"I choose you. I want you. I have _always_ wanted you." he said with a smile and a little laugh as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. In a way, it _was_ the most obvious thing in the world- he'd just been too afraid to look for it. "I'll choose you over and over and over without pause, without a doubt and in a heartbeat. I will _always_ choose_ you_." he said as they stood and breath apart. Dylan moved some stray hairs out of Kelly's face as he looked down at her like the angel he always thought she was.

"I am so stupidly in love with you Kelly Taylor... and I have been for a long time." he told her, his voice breaking slightly as he let his emotions take over.

Kelly closed her eyes and smiled, letting out a little laugh before opening them and seeing him standing there, smiling right back at her.

"What took you so long?" she asked as he chuckled before leaning down and kissing her, knowing that this was the best decision he ever made.


	16. Good Ideas and Regretful Pasts

_Hi everyone! So glad you all enjoyed the last chapter... I thought you might! I wanted to rewrite Dylan's choice in a way that it seem more like a clear choice, so hopefully I did it justice._

_I finished going through all the chapters I have written and if I take this story all the way up to season 10, we could potentially have 59 chapters... which seems like so many! I did consider stopping this story after season 3, but I've enjoyed sharing it with you all so much that I'm not sure I want to stop there, but I also don't want to have this go on forever and you all get bored of it, so let me know what you think!_

_For now, the aftermath of Dylan's choice... enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Sixteen- Good Ideas and Regretful Pasts

Dylan couldn't quite believe everything that had happened last night. He couldn't quite believe that he was lying in Kelly Taylor's bed, with her fast asleep in his arms. He hadn't slept a wink, but he didn't care. He spent the whole night watching her. She was truly angelic when she was asleep. They had spent the evening just lying in her bed, talking and laughing and kissing before Kelly fell asleep, tucked tightly into his chest.

Dylan lifted his right hand and ran his thumb delicately across her cheek. It was if he was checking she was real. That they were actually here in this perfectly peaceful moment. He continued to watch her as she started to wake up, letting out a few deep breaths before opening her eyes and getting her bearings of her surroundings. When she looked up and saw Dylan, she smiled at him, remembering all that had happened the previous night.

"Hi" Dylan greeted quietly.

"Hi" she returned, keeping herself snuggled tightly against him.

"How did you sleep?"

"Honestly? I don't remember the last time I got such a good night's sleep." she said with a little laugh. Normally, she hated sleeping next to someone, she needed complete peace, but there was something so comfortable and secure about sleeping next to him.

"I'm glad" he said as he delicately kissed her forehead.

"I can't believe you're really here..." she said in complete awe that he actually_ loved_ her. He had loved her for a long time and he _finally_ said it.

"There's nowhere else I'd want to be." he replied before Kelly leaned up and kissed him softly and slowly.

"You should get home though, your dad has probably been trying to call you." Kelly said, remembering that Jack had just gotten out of jail, but Dylan wasn't interested in that right now. He was only interested in her.

"He can definitely wait..." he said as they rolled over so Dylan was on top of her, fitting expertly between her legs.

They began to kiss at a faster pace, getting lost in the moment and in each other. When Dylan moved to her neck, Kelly tried to maintain her composure while she spoke to him.

"He defin—he definitely can't wait Dylan." Kelly said, struggling with her words as Dylan's hands ran up her thighs and she crooked her neck to give him better access. In that moment she reminded herself to wear her hair down today, so nobody asked any questions about those mysterious marks Dylan was no doubt leaving. "He just got out of jail Dylan, this is a big deal, you have to go."

Dylan lifted his head and brushed his nose against hers; "I know, and I will... _soon._" he said as they both smirked and started kissing again.

"This has got to be a dream." Kelly said between kisses.

"It is very, very real Taylor." Dylan replied. "It's you and me now and always."

Dylan kissed her one last time before Kelly finally came back down to Earth and pushed him off her.

"Ok, come on, you've gotta go meet your dad and I have to get you out of here before my mother realises you've been here all night." she said as Dylan groaned and rolled over onto his back. "Though in all honesty, I doubt she'd pay any attention if you walked through her living room after the weekend she's had."

"I'm sorry this is happening" Dylan said as he rolled back onto his side.

"I know... call me later?"

Dylan smiled; "You bet" he said as he gave her one last slow and searing kiss before getting off the bed.

As he put his hand on the door handle, Kelly rolled over onto her side and called his name.

"Hey, McKay?"

Dylan turned back and looked at her with a smile; "Yeah?"

"I love you."

Dylan smiled widely. He felt like a total goof, but he couldn't help it. "I love you too Taylor. I'll see you."

With that, Dylan quietly left the Taylor-Silver house before he was caught. As soon as the door closed Kelly rolled onto her back with the biggest smile on her face. She squealed lightly and shook her limbs in excitement.

Dylan McKay was hers now and always.

* * *

As promised, Dylan called Kelly later that morning and invited her to a party Jack was throwing at the Bellage for his return. She happily accepted his invitation, not only wanting to see Dylan, but also wanting to get out of the house. She couldn't listen to Mel and Jackie fight for another second.

When she arrived in Dylan's suite that night, he greeted her with a kiss. He was _beyond_ glad to see her. If he had his way, he would never have left her this morning. He did, however, tell her that he had invited all their friends but none of them came. They all gave various excuses, but he knew it was all because of Jack. He was a powerful and dangerous guy and they were anxious to ever have to be near him. But Kelly didn't care. All she cared about was being there for Dylan.

"Dad, you remember Kelly Taylor?" Dylan asked as they walked over to Jack and Christine.

Jack smiled widely; "Of course, it's nice to see you again Kelly." he greeted.

"You too Mr. McKay." Kelly had been nervous to see Jack again. It had been a long time and any time she had seen him, it wasn't under the best of circumstances.

"Oh please, call me Jack. You know, when Dylan was a kid, all he could talk about was Kelly Taylor. She was like a _goddess_ to him." he told Christine as Kelly blushed and Dylan awkwardly cleared his throat, not quite sure he was ready for Kelly to know the extent of his crush on her. "You've got good taste kid, just like your old man." he said as he smirked at Christine and kissed her cheek.

Christine sniggered; "You better behave yourself Jack."

"This is Christine" Dylan introduced as she and Kelly shook hands.

"Hi Kelly, it's nice to meet you, Dylan's told me a lot about you."

Kelly chuckled; "Oh, don't believe everything you hear."

"All good things, I promise." she assured her.

Kelly turned and smiled at Dylan as he laughed about something with his dad. All good things huh? Just what had Dylan been saying about Kelly all of these years? Whatever it was, it seemed his opinion hadn't changed, as here they were, finally a couple.

* * *

A short while later, Kelly was standing out on the balcony while Dylan went and got them some drinks. She wrapped her shawl around her, trying to protect herself from the cool December breeze. She really loved how well Dylan was getting along with his father. She loved seeing him laugh like he did tonight, she loved seeing him so happy, but she also couldn't stop thinking about her own family situation all night. A night away from the hell hole that was her home right now wouldn't change her reality and she was dreading going back to it.

"Ok" she heard Dylan say as he returned with drinks before looking down at the table of food. "We've got some caviar, smoked salmon... and I have no idea what this is." he said with a little laugh.

Kelly gratefully took the drink from him; "Thanks, but I'm not very hungry."

"You ok?" he asked with a frown, seeing that her earlier smile had disappeared.

"I'm just thinking about what's gone down at home. I can't believe my mother is going to be single _again_." Kelly said with a sigh.

Dylan rubbed her arm; "You know I really thought those two would make it."

"Unfortunately so did my mother. You'd think I'd be used to it by now, I've been through it enough."

"I guess it feels different this time because of Erin and even David."

"Yeah... who would have thought I'd ever get a brother and a sister?" she said with a smile, but quickly dropped it. "I just wish they'd stop fighting and get on with the divorce.

Dylan pulled her in to his chest and rested his chin on top of her head while she turned and looked out over the city.

"You want to stay here with me tonight?" Dylan asked.

Kelly groaned. Of course she did, but she also didn't think now was the time. "I shouldn't."

"Why not?"

"My mother will probably be mad amongst other things." she said as Dylan knowingly nodded his head. This was about a lot more than her mother. It almost felt disrespectful to be doing this when Brenda had no idea.

"Alright..." he said, knowing not to push it. "But I've got an idea, how about we go swimming?"

Kelly moved to look at him; "_Swimming_? I don't have a suit." she said with a little laugh.

"The shops are open downstairs, we'll buy you one."

"It's too cold."

"The pool is heated and you know I'll keep you warm..." he said as he pulled her tighter against him.

"What about your father?" she said, using her last line of defence.

"He's got his own blonde, he'll never miss us. Come on, let's _go_." he said, daring her to be wild for one night.

* * *

A short while later, Dylan and Kelly had dived straight into the pool, trying to ignore how cold it was.

"I remember the last time we were in this pool." Kelly began to recall as her teeth chattered. "It was spring break freshman year and Mark Watson almost drowned he was so wasted at your party."

Dylan scoffed; "I remember the good old days, or,_ not_ so good old days. I'm lucky if I remember _anything_ from back then."

"Well, I will certainly remember this moment right here. This was a good idea." she said with a little smile.

Dylan smirked; "I'm full of good ideas."

"I bet you are." Kelly said. She paused for a moment before a devious smirk formed on her face and she splashed Dylan.

Dylan ran a hand down his face then pointed at Kelly, "Don't do it unless you mean it."

Kelly quirked an eyebrow, "Oh I mean it."

"You're in trouble then" he said as he jumped forward and pushed her under water. He went down with her and lifted her up, both of them immediately laughing with they found air.

Dylan pulled Kelly closer to him and she wrapped her legs around his waist before moving in and kissing him

"You better kiss me like you mean it." Kelly teased.

"Oh I mean it." he said, repeating her words from earlier.

Kelly giggled; "You're in trouble then" she taunted back before kissing him further, her hands roaming through her hair and his roaming across her back.

"Dylan, what would have done if the others had come tonight?" Kelly asked, bringing them back down to Earth for a second. They hadn't told anybody about their relationship yet, though Kelly was most concerned about telling Brenda for obvious reasons.

"You mean Brenda." Dylan said, seeing right through her.

"I'm not sure her finding us making out in the pool would be the best way to tell her about us."

"We can tell her tomorrow?" Dylan suggested, a little too casually for Kelly's liking. This was a big deal and he was acting like it didn't matter in the slightest. They were about to hurt someone they both loved and she knew it couldn't go well.

"Mel and my mom are breaking up because he was fooling around. I can't feel that great about being the other woman." Kelly said with a shrug. As far as Brenda was aware, that was exactly who she was.

"You're not the other woman, you never were. You gave me that dumb ultimatum, you said choose and I chose. Though, in all honesty, it wasn't much of a choice." he said with a little smile. "The heart wants what the heart wants."

Kelly smiled back at him, feeling her heart beat faster at his confession.

"If we're going to make it, we have to tell Brenda the truth. We can't make the same mistake again."

"Ok, no problem."

"I mean—we have to tell her about the summer."

Dylan's face fell. "Kelly, telling Brenda about us fooling around in the summer isn't going to help."

"I know, but she's my friend and I owe it to her to tell her the truth. So do you."

Kelly was right. As much as Dylan didn't want to tell Brenda, he also couldn't stand to lie to her anymore. She deserved to know the full story and Kelly and Dylan deserved to start their relationship from a place of honesty.

"Ok" Dylan eventually agreed as Kelly hugged him gently, bobbing in the water for a little while longer.

* * *

The next day in school, Kelly was walking through the hallway, when she felt an arm pull her back and into the corner. Her confusion fell when she saw Dylan smirking at her.

"Hey stranger." she said. "What you doing?"

"Just thinking about how good you looked in that bathing suit last night..." he said as he rested his hands on her hips and kissed her jaw.

Kelly giggled; "Well thank you."

"I mean, you're just beautiful all round..." he said as he stole a quick kiss from her.

"Would you stop" Kelly said with a laugh, pushing him away slightly, but he was quick to pull her back in. "We're in school." she reminded him. The last thing they needed was for a teacher to bust them for inappropriate conduct.

"Yeah, there's something about getting frisky at school that really turns me on..." he teased as he nipped her jaw and his hands travelled down her back and dangerously close to her behind.

"Control yourself McKay" Kelly whispered before pushing herself off him, leaving him groaning.

"Alright fine" he said as he followed her down the hallway. "So, my dad really liked you last night and he wanted me to invite you to dinner with him, Christine and myself, what do you say?"

"I don't know..." Kelly said as they stopped outside her locker.

"Didn't you have a good time last night?" Dylan asked with a frown.

"No, I did" Kelly quickly assured him. "It's just—I couldn't sleep last night. I kept thinking about Brenda. What are we going to tell her Dylan? _How_ are we going to tell her?"

Dylan noticed Brenda coming in their direction; "She's right there, we could tell her now if you want to."

"Hi guys" Brenda greeted as Kelly swiftly turned around and smiled awkwardly, like she had just been caught committing a crime.

"Hi Bren" Kelly said overly cheerily.

"How was the party?"

"It was—fine." Kelly said as she awkwardly cleared her throat and Dylan looked at the ground to avoid laughing at her unsubtle behaviour.

"Listen, Dylan, I'm sorry I couldn't be there last night. I just had to study that's all."

"It's ok Bren." Dylan excused. Truth was, he was pretty mad that none of his friends bothered to show up, but he felt like the last thing he had the right to be right now was mad at Brenda. "I gotta go, I'm late for class..." Dylan said as he quickly made an escape, leaving a nervous Kelly with Brenda.

"I should have been there..." Brenda mumbled to Kelly. "Dylan needs friends right now. Especially friends who realise how bad it is between him and his father."

"You met Dylan's dad?" Kelly questioned. As far as she knew, Jack was long gone from LA by the time Brenda started dating Dylan.

"Yeah, once. The first time Dylan and I went out he took me back to his house. Jack started screaming and Dylan went right for the bottle."

"Oh, yeah, I remember you telling me that." Kelly recalled. How could she forget the rocky beginnings of Dylan and Brenda? She somehow managed to get herself right in the centre of it. "I know all too well what he's like" Kelly said, having her own share of memories of Dylan's time with his father. "But now, either Dylan's stronger or Jack's mellower cause they were getting on _famously_ last night. Jack told this funny story about how they used to order ten banana splits from room service and see who could eat the most."

Brenda narrowed her eyes; "I don't think all of Dylan's memories of his father are quite that adorable."

"I know that Brenda. I've been around a lot longer than you have." Kelly said, getting defensive. She was also cautious about Jack and Dylan getting along again, but they were both so happy and they had both changed over the past few years. Who was she to get in the way of that?

"There's no need to get defensive." Brenda shot back.

Kelly sighed; "I'm not, I just—Dylan wants to give his dad a chance and from what I've seen of Jack lately, I think that's great."

"Yeah. I guess." Brenda mumbled. "I'll see you later..." she said before walking away.

In that moment, Kelly could already feel the tension build between the two of them. She could only imagine how much worse it was going to get when she told her the truth. She knew she had to do it and she had to do it today before things got worse for them all.

* * *

"So, what did you need to talk to me about?" Brenda asked that afternoon as she strolled through the park with Kelly and Dylan. They had called by her house after school to come clean and Brenda thought she knew what was coming, but she refused to believe it.

"Uh-" Dylan began, unsure how he was going to word this. "Brenda you asked me to choose who I wanted to be with and I uh—I chose. I chose Kelly."

"You _what?_" Brenda asked, wanting to hear it again to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

"I chose Kelly." he repeated. He wasn't ashamed of his choice, not in the slightest, but he was ashamed that he was hurting someone who meant so much to him.

Brenda scoffed; "I really didn't think this was a _choice_. I really didn't think you would choose _her_ after everything we have been through. Dylan... we _love_ each other." Brenda pleaded in disbelief.

"I'll always love you Bren, but-" Dylan started but Brenda interrupted.

"But you're _in_ love with Kelly, right?" she questioned quietly.

Dylan nodded silently as Kelly took the moment of silence to say something.

"Brenda, please understand how much you mean to us-"

"You've made your choice and I have to live with that, but I don't have to listen to this anymore." Brenda said as she turned to leave.

"Brenda wait, there's something else we have to tell you."

"I don't want to hear it!"

"Well you're going to have to Bren, because neither one of us can stand to lie to you anymore!" Dylan shouted back.

"This summer, while you were in Paris" Kelly began, trying to will herself to finish the sentence, but Dylan took over for her.

"I said I was with a girl. The girl was Kelly."

Brenda's mouth fell open in disbelief. Her boyfriend and her best friend? _Really?_ How was this even _happening_ right now.

"I can't believe this... I loved you, I trusted you both!" she shouted angrily. "I went against my better judgement over the last two years, I knew how close you two were, I knew you understood each other like no one else did but I—I never thought you would do this to me!"

"We didn't plan for this to happen Brenda." Dylan told her, trying anything he could to salvage the situation.

"No, you just let it happen Dylan! Did you two sleep together?"

"_No!_" Kelly made clear.

"And why should I believe you?"

"Because it's the truth." Dylan responded without missing a beat. What else were they supposed to say?

Brenda ran a hand across her forehead as she tried to digest everything. "Why are you doing this to me?!"

"Because we owe it to you Bren. Don't you think we owe it to each other to tell the truth? That way we can maybe start again from a place that's a little more honest."

Brenda glared straight at Dylan, "_Honesty?_" she questioned through her teeth. "You think this is about _honesty_? This is about you clearing your guilty consciences. So you can freely walk around without a care in the world! _Damn it._ I should have known better than to _ever_ think you two could stay faithful. I hate you both,_ never_ talk to me again!" Brenda screamed before turning around and storming off.

Dylan and Kelly watched her as she walked away, not knowing what to say. Dylan rested his hand on the back of Kelly's neck.

"She'll be ok." He assured her.

"I know. Will we?" she asked with a gulp, not knowing where to go from here.

_"Always._"


	17. Pieces Into Place

_Thank you for all your lovely comments! I'm glad you all want this to go on for as long as I can take it, so I'll do just that. It's such a fun world to re-imagine and magnify, so there's so much to come!_

_For now, Iris is back in town... Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Seventeen- Pieces into Place

The following weekend, Kelly arrived at Dylan's house early that Saturday morning to help him tidy up before his mother came into town for a visit. Iris had heard that Jack was out of jail and after Dylan's money, so she decided to come into town and _personally_ settle this business herself. After all, she was the one the money belonged to and they needed her signature to access it.

Kelly walked into Dylan's living room and froze.

_"Dylan._" she scolded. "_Look_ at this place, it is a complete _dump_!"

"I thought you didn't mind the mess." he questioned as he held onto her waist.

"It was _not_ this bad yesterday." Kelly pointed out. She didn't mind a little bit of uncleanliness, but this was too far.

Dylan scratched the back of his head; "Yeah, Steve and Brandon were here last night, we got a little messy..."

"When does your mother get here?" Kelly queried. She was pretty nervous about having to see Iris again, especially now that she and Dylan were a couple and Iris was such a big fan of Brenda. Kelly was pretty sure that Iris would find _something_ wrong with her and she'd probably start with the fact that she'd let Dylan get so messy.

"About three hours. We have all the time in the world" he said as he bent down and kissed her cheek.

"Dylan..." Kelly warned as he continued to kiss his way down her neck. Ever since they had confessed how much they loved each other a fire had been ignited inside of them—they just couldn't keep their hands off each other (which they weren't complaining about).

Their first time together was clumsily special. Dylan wanted to make the whole night perfect for her. He thought about cooking dinner—but then remembered he couldn't cook. He couldn't even make _toast_ without burning it. So, he decided they'd just order from their favourite take out, but while they were in the kitchen getting plates Dylan managed to drop one and a piece of ceramic ended up slashing Kelly's hand. They ended up in the ER where Kelly received 7 stitches. Dylan then spent the whole drive home apologising to the point where Kelly got annoyed at him for apologising so much. It descended into a fight and Kelly demanded Dylan take her straight home, which he _happily_ did.

As soon as Dylan got back to his house, however, he felt terrible about the whole thing. Did they _really_ just fight over him_ apologising_? Before he could even put his keys down, he had opened the front door to go to Kelly and apologise for apologising—but she was standing right in front of him, her hand raised to knock on the door.

_"That was the stupidest fight I have ever had."_ Kelly said to him.

As he chuckled; _"Ditto."_ he replied before they both started laughing. Kelly then stepped forward and kissed him tenderly and sweetly. Dylan soon deepened the kiss and pulled her inside, determined to make sure every part of her body knew how much he loved her.

_"3 hours Kel._" Dylan reminded her as he wrapped his arms tighter around her waist. "Think of all we could do in that time..." he said with a smirk as he lifted her up causing her to squeal slightly.

Dylan lowered her onto the sofa and immediately began kissing her.

"Dylan" Kelly managed to mumble between kisses, "Look at this place, if we don't start now, we'll never be done on time..."

"_Three. Hours. Kelly_." Dylan repeated slowly.

"Well, don't say I didn't warn you" she said before he started kissing her and unbuttoning her cardigan to reveal a lace camisole.

"Come to the airport with me?" he asked as the stopped for a breath.

"I don't think a crowded terminal at LAX is where I want to drop the 'we're together bomb' on your mom." Kelly said as she screwed up her nose and toyed with the ends of Dylan's hair.

"Come on, my mom loves you..."

Kelly scoffed; "No she doesn't, she thinks I'm a spoilt, blonde bimbo."

"She does_ not_."

"Oh she _definitely_ does." Dylan could try and persuade Kelly all he wanted of this fact, but she knew better.

Dylan ran his thumb over her cheek; "Who cares what she thinks anyway?"

"Well, since she's a psychic and all, she'll probably be able to read my mind and toy with my nerves..." she teased as they both laughed.

"Just don't give her a hard time about all this new age stuff, then you'll be alright. She'll probably just cock one eyebrow and ask you what your sign is. Then you'll know you're in trouble."

Kelly put her hand on Dylan's chest, "I think this is one family reunion I'm going to have to be missing so let's clean up so I can leave-" she said as she pushed him and started to get up, but Dylan quickly pulled her back down and started kissing her again.

Kelly was about to take Dylan's shirt off when the doorbell rang and she groaned.

"I think you should answer that..."

"Whatever they're selling, I don't want it." he said as he moved her camisole and bra strap out of the way, giving him full access across her neck and shoulder.

"_Dylan"_ Kelly said with a laugh as the doorbell went again.

Dylan sighed; "Don't go anywhere." he said before giving her a quick kiss.

He got up and looked out the side window and groaned in disbelief.

"It's Iris."

"_Iris?_!" Kelly exclaimed as she shot up. "Stall her, I will be _right_ back." Kelly said as she grabbed her stuff and ran into the bathroom to try and pull herself together.

Dylan took a breath before opening the door and coming face to face with his mother. "Iris. What are you doing here? I thought your plane didn't get for another 3 hours."

"Well it's nice to see you too Dylan. I got an earlier flight and hopped in a cab. I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time?" Iris asked, seeing that he was a little jittery.

"No, no, I just wanted to clean up a little before you got here, come on in." he said as he moved aside to let Iris in.

Iris sighed when she saw the mess. "I can see _why_. I'm surprised Brenda puts up with this mess." she said as they walked into the dining area. "Scorps have a notorious need for neatness. But, then again, Brenda is not your average scorp, after all—she's in love with you."

The bathroom door soon opened and Kelly appeared, looking like a deer caught in headlights.

"Hi" Kelly greeted sheepishly.

"Mom, you remember Kelly, right?" Dylan asked as Kelly walked towards him and he rested his hand protectively around her waist.

"Of course, hi Kelly, it's nice to see you again." Iris said as she looked at Dylan's hand that was locked firmly around Kelly.

"You too Iris" Kelly said with a small smile.

Iris looked at Kelly's top; "I think you missed a button" she told her as Kelly went bright red, thanked her and fixed it. "So, I guess I was interrupting something after all. Are you two-"

"Together? Yeah, we're together. Long story, not worth getting into right now." Dylan said quickly, trying anything to make this situation less uncomfortable.

"Right..." Iris said, not sure she wanted to know all the gory details. "So, Kelly, remind me—what's your sign?"

Kelly laughed awkwardly, remembering what Dylan had told her not 5 minutes ago; "I'm a Pisces."

"Independent, confident, _bold_..." Iris said, rhyming off all her best supposed personality traits. "Yet- impatient, moody and often _impulsive_."

"_Iris_." Dylan warned with a raised eyebrow. He certainly was not in the mood for any of her passive aggressive remarks today.

"But we don't need to get into that right now, do we? How about some breakfast? You can let me read your fortune Kelly." Iris suggested as she sat at the table.

"Oh, we don't need to do that-" Kelly quickly said.

"You know, I took Dylan to a fortune teller when he was 5 years old. She told him that he didn't have a very long-life span and he should make the most of it." Iris told her as Kelly nodded once, unsure what else to do. "I assumed that's what he was doing when he started dating Brenda. But—evidently not. How is Brenda doing, I'm assuming you're all still friends?" Iris asked, knowing perfectly well that they probably weren't friends at all.

"I don't think we need to talk about Brenda-" Dylan began.

"She has a real _fire_ in her soul, doesn't she? She'll fight for those she loves she won't let anyone walk all over her." Iris said as she stared directly as Kelly, making her feel more and more uncomfortable by the second. "That's Scorps for you." she finished with a shrug. "I have a present for her actually-"

"How about I cook us some breakfast?" Dylan offered.

"I actually have to get getting, I said I would meet Donna at the Pit." Kelly said, though Dylan knew full well that she was lying. "I'll see you later, it was nice to see you again Iris."

"And you Kelly." Iris said with the fakest smile Kelly thought she had ever seen.

Kelly gave her a tight lipped smile before making a dash to the door.

"Kel" Dylan said as he went after her. "I'm sorry-"

"There's nothing to be sorry for. Enjoy your day with your mom. I'll see you later." she said before giving him a quick kiss and leaving.

Dylan slowly made his way back into the dining area.

"Iris, was that really necessary?" Dylan asked.

"Was you springing your new girlfriend on me _really_ necessary?" she shot back. "I mean really Dylan? You broke up with _Brenda_ for _Kelly_?" she questioned.

"It's a long story." Dylan simply replied. He was fully prepared to fight with Iris over this but at the same time- he didn't feel like he had to. He didn't have to justify anything to her. Bottom line was that he was in love with his girlfriend and that's all she needed to know.

"So you say. I doubt I'll understand even if you do tell me..."

"Let's just drop it." Dylan said as he made his way into the kitchen, not even remotely interested in explaining everything to his mother, only for her to pass judgey comments, especially when she didn't even know Kelly that well- what exactly _was_ her problem?

* * *

After arriving at the Peach Pit, Kelly was glad to see that Donna was actually here after all, and she wouldn't have to wallow in self-pity all by herself.

"What's wrong?" Donna asked when she saw the look on Kelly's face.

"I just saw Iris McKay" Kelly said as Donna's eyes widened and she pulled Kelly to the counter to sit down.

"When was the last time you even saw her?"

"I saw her very briefly last year when Dylan relapsed but before that? We must have been like 13..." Kelly recalled.

"Is she really as weird as Dylan makes her out to be?" Donna asks. Dylan really made her sound like she was completely nuts.

"She's little eccentric, but this time, she added judgemental and bitchy to her attributes." Kelly said with an eye roll. "All she wanted to talk about was her good friend Brenda."

"With you there? Isn't that a little rude?"

"It seems they have a special bond. She even bought her a present." Kelly told Donna. At first she was frustrated about the whole thing, but now she just felt a little _sad_. She knew Dylan didn't really care what Iris thought, but she still wanted Iris to like her and support her relationship with her son.

"Well, mothers can be a little weird about who their sons date." Donna reasoned. "I'm sure it's nothing against you."

"Oh I'm pretty sure she has _everything_ against me." Kelly said. She had thought about Iris' dislike of her a lot, and she could only come to one conclusion for it. "I was the one person who was there for Dylan his whole life. In some weird twisted way I make her feel guilty for what she left behind."

Donna nodded her head, finally understanding where Iris may have been coming from. "She probably feels a little threatened by you. That Dylan has had another woman in his life to rely on."

"Which isn't fair because _she_ is the one who took the money and ran, that is on her. It's not my fault that Dylan trusts me more than he trusts her."

"Yeah, you're right." Donna said. "But... at the end of the day, you are the constant in Dylan's life. You always have been and no matter what Iris says, that's not going to change."

Kelly looked at Donna with a hint of fear in her eyes; "Even if she convinces him Brenda is better for him?"

"How can she convince him of something that isn't true?" Donna challenged as Kelly nodded her head softly, hoping that Donna was right.

* * *

The following morning, Dylan woke up on his sofa and tried to get the kinks out of his back. After talking with his dad, Dylan had been trying desperately to think of a way to win his mother over and get her to sign the papers to get him the money. He decided the only way he could only do this was by charm.

"I didn't hear you come in last night." Iris said from the patio as Dylan sat up.

"Yeah, I was out pretty late." he replied as he ran a hand over his face.

"With Jack? Or Kelly?"

"The first one... then the other."

"Here's to honesty" Iris said as she held up her drink before taking a sip.

Dylan sighed; "Iris, you and I both know we're just going to drive each other crazy if we stay here all day so, why don't we take a drive up to Ojai?"

Iris smiled; "You like Ojai?"

"No." Dylan made clear. "But I like the drive and what doesn't kill me makes me stronger." he said as he used the door frame to pull him up.

Iris looked at her son in disbelief, "The last time I was here you were getting into fights in pool halls. Now you're so... _calm_."

"Well if this is too tame for you, we can head down to sunset boulevard and start a fight with some bikers" Dylan joked as Iris softly laughed.

Iris rested her hand on Dylan's chest; "You seem happy, Dylan. _Centred_."

Dylan nodded; "Yeah, a lot of things have fallen into place for me."

"Kelly?"

Dylan involuntarily smiled. It was like a reflex now every time he heard her name. "Yeah, she's a pretty big part of it." In fact, she was the _biggest_ part of it.

"You know... I always knew you two had a special connection. I could _feel_ it." Iris conceded as Dylan raised his eyebrows. Was she really admitting that he and Kelly were right for each other? "I just assumed when Brenda came along, nothing would ever become of it."

"I guess that connection you felt was too strong." Dylan suggested.

"I guess so... or maybe it's just something you need to get out of your system." Just because she'd accepted their relationship, doesn't mean she was going to be any less passive aggressive about it. It was almost like a mechanism in order to avoid her own failures. She'd failed Dylan as a mother and Kelly picked up the pieces of his broken heart.

"_Mom._"

"Alright, alright, I get it. You're happy together and I accept that."

"Thank you. Really." Dylan said sarcastically, not wanting or needing her approval.

"I think it's about time we took that trip to Ojai..." Iris said, knowing that this conversation probably couldn't end well.

* * *

Two days later, Kelly was standing at her locker when she felt Dylan's hands wrap around her waist.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you?" he whispered in her ear as Kelly giggled.

"I have a pretty good idea." she said as she turned around and he immediately kissed her.

Kelly smiled against his lips; "What what that for?"

"I'm just revelling in the fact that I can kiss you whenever I want." he said, placing one hand beside her head on the locker as Kelly laughed.

"We have to maintain _some_ form of decorum around here." she said as he kept kissing her.

Dylan chuckled deeply; "I can assure you, there will be nothing decent about what we're going to be doing tonight after dinner with my dad."

"_Dylan!_" Kelly scolded as she laughed and pushed him away slightly. "Why are we having dinner with your dad?"

"To celebrate" Dylan said as he pulled at her cardigan. "Iris signed."

Kelly smiled; "You're kidding."

"Yeah, she trusts me which let me tell you is a pretty great feeling." Dylan said with a smile.

"I'm so happy for you Dylan." she said softly as she fiddled with the edges of his unbuttoned shirt.

"You're going to be even more happy when the money starts rolling in and I start treating you like the queen you are..." he said lowly as he kissed her cheek.

Kelly giggled; "I don't remember the last time I saw you this happy."

Dylan shrugged; "for the first time in my life everything is falling into place and the best part of it all? _You_."

"I love you" Kelly said quietly as their noses brushed.

"I love you more. I'll see you tonight" he said as he taunted her with an almost kiss, before leaving her hanging and walking away with a smirk.

Kelly let out a scoff at his antics before turning around. She spotted Brenda at the end of the corridor grasping something around her neck. Before she knew it, she was walking in Kelly's direction.

"Hi Kelly." Brenda said.

"H- Hi." Kelly replied, not expecting even a greeting from Brenda.

Brenda simply nodded her head before walking on.

_Baby steps._


	18. Arms of an Angel

_So... it always kind of bothered me how they handled the aftermath of Jack's death. In many ways it was beautifully done, but I don't think they were overly fair to Kelly's character, so this is sort of a fix-it chapter too! _

_I hope you enjoy it._

* * *

Chapter Eighteen- Arms of an Angel

Just as things were looking up for Dylan, his whole world came crumbling down- quite literally into a pile of ashes. Somebody had rigged Jack's car to explode once he turned the engine on. Dylan watched the whole thing happen. He was on his way to move Jack's car himself when Kelly called, so Jack ended up moving it instead. It could have been _him_ in that car, but instead, he had to live with the guilt and the grief of it all.

He sat by the dock just staring into space while the police and whoever else was there dealt with everything. He felt completely utterly broken and lost. He had been interviewed three times already but he couldn't get the words out. He looked up and saw masses of people had gathered by the gates to see what the commotion was all about. Why did people have to be so damn nosey?

As soon as Kelly heard on the news about the explosion and who had been involved, she jumped in her car and sped down to the docks. She couldn't believe the chaos that greeted her when she got there. She tried to look through the crowds to find Dylan but she was having little success. Eventually, she managed to push her way through to the front of the crowd and spotted him sitting by the dock with a blanket around his shoulders. She had never seen him look so much like a little lost boy in all her life.

_"Dylan!"_ she shouted as she pushed through the crowd and jumped over the barriers.

"Ma'am, you cannot come in here!" she heard an officer shout but she didn't care. She ran as fast as she could towards him.

As soon as he spotted her he stood up and ran to meet her half way.

_"Kelly_" he said as he let out a breath and she jumped into his arms, holding him as tightly as she could.

_"I am so, so sorry_." she whispered to him as he burst into tears and cried into her hair.

* * *

A short while later, the police eventually let Dylan go and he and Kelly made their way back to his house. Already, a mass of reporters had gathered at the door hoping to get an exclusive with Dylan about what happened.

Kelly had tried to fend them off all day, but they didn't want to leave. Eventually Dylan had stormed into his room and began to pack a bag to do what he did best—run when things got tough.

Before he could go anywhere, Jim Walsh came to his door and asked him to come and stay with them for a while. There was something about Jim's offer that put Dylan at ease. He was quick to point out, however, that Brenda wouldn't want him there—only for Jim to inform him that it was Brenda's idea.

"You don't mind if I go stay with the Walshes, do you?" Dylan asked Kelly as Jim waited in the living room for Dylan to pack some things.

"No, Dylan. They're like family to you. You should be with family." Kelly encouraged. Now was not the time for her to be getting jealous. Whatever Dylan needed to get through this, he would get if Kelly had anything to do with it.

"I love you. Very much." he told her as he kissed her quickly.

"I love you too." Kelly said as she ran a hand across his cheek. "Everything's going to be ok, I promise."

* * *

The following morning, Kelly sat staring at her reflection in her vanity. It was the day of the funeral and she was worried. She hadn't heard from Dylan since yesterday afternoon. She didn't expect him to call, but a little part of her did. Normally, he would call her when he was feeling really terrible, but it was like her help was the last thing he needed for the first time in his life.

Donna had arrived early to make sure Kelly was ok. She knew this whole thing must have been taking its toll on her too.

"I just feel so _useless_ Donna." Kelly replied honestly as she fixed the ribbon her dress. "I was always the person he turned to whenever he was going through something, but I'm not who he needs right now. It's a hard pill to swallow, especially when it's his ex-girlfriend and her family that he's with..." Kelly confessed.

"Kelly, he will always need you. You and I both know that, _everyone_ knows that." Donna reminded her.

"I want him to be ok Donna. More than anything in this world and I just feel like it might be better if I stayed away." she said quietly.

Donna immediately shook her head, "No, it wouldn't. He wants you there, he needs you there. You're his Kelly."

Kelly suddenly had a sinking feeling in her heart. She couldn't quite put into words what it felt like. She felt _sick_ and all she could hear in her head was Dylan's name being repeated over and over again. She _had_ to go to him.

"I gotta go..." Kelly said as she lifted her coat.

"Where are you going?" Donna questioned frantically. Now was not the time for Kelly to be doing a disappearing act. "The service starts in half an hour!"

"I'll be there, I promise." Kelly made clear, before she rushed out her bedroom door.

* * *

Kelly lightly knocked on the Walsh's front door after she couldn't shake the urge that she needed to be here. She held in a breath when the door flung open and Brenda was on the other side.

"Hi" Brenda greeted.

"Hi... I don't mean to intrude, I just-" Kelly began, unsure what to tell Brenda right now. She didn't want to make things awkward, but at the same time, that was the least of her worries right now.

"No, it's ok." Brenda assured her. "Dylan hasn't come downstairs yet."

"You know... I had the strangest feeling that I needed to be here right now... I don't know why, it was such a sudden urge." Kelly found herself confessing. She just needed to say it out loud to make sure she wasn't going mad.

"I guess your subconscious knew Dylan needed you." Brenda said, though Kelly could tell it was a difficult one for her to admit. "Go on up." Brenda said as she moved away from the door and Kelly stepped inside.

"Thanks" Kelly said with a tight-lipped smile as she made her way upstairs.

She slowly walked through Brenda's room and into Brandon and Brenda's shared bathroom, where she found Dylan struggling to tie his tie through his tears.

"Hi" she greeted softly as he jumped lightly, not realising she was there, but as soon as he did, it was like a wave of relief had washed over him.

"Hi... do I have to wear this thing?" he asked as he threw his tie down on the counter.

Kelly shook her head, "Not if you don't want to."

"I'm sorry I haven't called you."

"Dylan, don't be ridiculous." Kelly replied immediately. He had absolutely nothing to apologise to her for.

They stood in silence for a few moments while Dylan tried to compose himself.

"Kelly... I don't know how to do this." He confessed as he finally looked up and showed Kelly just how exhausted he looked.

"I don't think you're supposed to know." She replied. "I also don't think there's any right or wrong way to grieve. It'll hurt for a long time, but little by little you'll let go of the loss you feel, but you'll never let go of the love in your heart. You'll never let go of how your dad made you feel."

Dylan scoffed; "We had some pretty terrible times."

"But you also had some really special ones and that's what you're going to remember when you think about him."

"You think?"

Kelly nodded, "Yeah, I do... and you know, you have so many people in your corner who will be by your side through it all. People that are still here for you to love and who will love you right back."

Dylan stared at his girlfriend in complete wonder and admiration. How could someone make his heart beat so fast when he didn't want it to beat at all? He immediately thought of a conversation he had with his dad the night before he died:

_"You know, I'm really glad you and Kelly worked everything out." Jack said as he rested his hand on his son's shoulder._

_"Really?"_

_"Yeah. Ever since you were little kids, you looked at her like she was an angel."_

_"I'm surprised you would notice that." Dylan said as he blushed slightly._

_Jack smiled; "I noticed a lot more than you think... either way, I think she might be the best thing to ever happen to you."_

_The best thing to ever happen to him_. He didn't really think about it much at the time, but right here in this moment, he knew that it was true.

"I am so thankful for you." he said to her in an almost whisper.

"Come here" Kelly said as she stepped forward and hugged him tightly and a few tears fell from his eyes and onto the back of her dress. "We should go." Kelly said quietly as she released him from the hug, but held tightly on to his hands.

"Will you help me tie this thing?" Dylan said as he held up the piece of fabric that had always driven him completely nuts.

"Of course" Kelly said with a soft smile as she began tying it for him.

* * *

After the service and the wake at the Walsh's, Dylan had had enough. He took off to clear his head and get some sort of closure, which he thankfully found. At the end of the day, he didn't want to go to his house. He didn't want to go to Walshes. Not when _she_ wasn't there.

He had remembered Kelly showing him where the spare key to her house was a few weeks ago, so he quietly let himself him and snuck up to her room. He was worried he would scare Kelly, but thankfully she wasn't asleep, but none the less surprised to see him when his silhouette appeared at the door.

"Hi" he greeted quickly as he kicked off his shoes and his jacket and got under the covers beside her.

"Hi... what are you doing here?" she asked as they lay on their sides facing each other.

"I just wanted to see you."

"How are you?" she asked cautiously.

"Better now that I'm here. Go to sleep Kel" he told her as Kelly tucked her head under his chin and drifted off into a peaceful sleep, thankful that he was here and prayerful that he would be ok.

* * *

Kelly was frustrated. She knew that she shouldn't be. She knew that it was wrong for her to be, but the reality was—she was frustrated. For the past few weeks she had been trying so hard to get through to Dylan, but he wasn't interested in talking to her. He kept brushing her off and avoiding spending time with her. The only people he seemed to be interested in spending time with were the Walshes and when he wasn't spending time with them, he was writing. Andrea had encouraged him to write about his father and his life because it was quite simply a fascinating story. Dylan didn't expect to get into it as much as he did. He was so into it that Mr Myers even let him join is AP English class so late in the year. Dylan had already read all the books on Myers' reading list, so all he had to do was not skip and maintain a good grade.

Kelly had called round to Dylan's house one Saturday morning in the hopes of spending some time with him. When she opened his front door, she found him sitting typing away, not that that should have surprised her.

"So, AP English" she said excitedly as he continued to type.

"Yeah, I can't believe Myers let me in."

"Well, he knows a smart and capable guy when he sees one. This is really great Dylan." Kelly said sincerely.

"Yeah, we'll see how it goes..."

"And this writing is exciting too... how long do you reckon it'll take you?" she asked. She was really glad that he was getting so into something. If he couldn't say what he wanted to say out loud, she was glad he was at least getting it down on paper.

"I don't know, just until I can't think anymore." Dylan replied, still not looking up from his work.

"I'm glad you have some focus..." she said as she wrapped her arms around his shoulder and tried to peak at his work, but he quickly folded the sheet over.

"Ah, no peaking..."

"Oh come on, why not?" Kelly whined with a pout.

"It's not personal, I'm just writing about my dad and feelings and stuff and I don't want to share it until it's done."

Kelly removed her arms; "Alright..." she said quietly, trying not to sound annoyed that he was pushing her away, yet again.

"Don't be mad." he said as he held on to the rim of her skirt.

"I'm not mad" she assured him with a tight smile and a squeeze of his hand. "I'm going to go and meet David and Donna."

"I'll call you later."

"Oh, don't interrupt your work for me." Kelly insisted. She didn't want to be selfish right now, but she also didn't think it was fair to feel neglected throughout all of this.

"I want to."

"Ok... I'll talk to you later."

* * *

Dylan kept to his word and called Kelly that night, but David had informed him she left about an hour ago. His guess was that she went down to the beach, and Dylan knew he would find her at Paradise Cove. He made the short journey down there and climbed over the rocks, finding her wrapped in a woolly cardigan, sitting on the sand and staring out at the sea.

"Fancy seeing you here." Dylan said as he sat beside her.

"Of all the beaches in all the towns in all the world—_he_ walks onto _mine_." Kelly said, quirking her eyebrow as Dylan chuckled at her Casablanca reference that he had used on her over the summer.

"Funny..."

"What are you doing here?" Kelly asked quietly.

"Looking for you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I owe you an apology and an explanation..."

Kelly frowned; "There's nothing to apologise for."

"Yes, there is. I've been pushing you away and from the look in your eyes over the past few weeks, you've realised it too." he said as Kelly looked down and thread her feet through the sand. She didn't think he'd noticed what he was doing, but apparently it was a more conscious choice than she'd realised. "You scare me Kelly." he said quietly as Kelly finally looked at him, not expecting him to say something like that. "I thought I understood love when I met Brenda. But, the truth is, I think I've always understood it, I've just been too scared to admit it. I was scared to admit how much I loved _you._ Brenda taught me how to run to love instead of running from it and—I ran to you. I took a leap and it was the _best_ decision I ever made but... it also came with a lot of insecurities. Ever since I lost my dad, I just keep expecting to lose you too because nothing ever seems to go my way. So, I went into a momentary period of self-destruction and I pushed because I thought it would make it easier when I inevitably lost you... but it was really stupid and I'm sorry. I can't do this without you Kelly. I don't want to do this without you. So, if you can forgive me-"

Kelly leaned forward and kissed him. She had never been so moved by someone before. She was taken aback by his honesty and in that moment, she loved him more than she ever thought possible.

Kelly broke the kiss and rested her forehead against his. "Like I said, there's nothing to be forgiven for. I'm not going anywhere Dylan. I know what it's like to have demons, I know how difficult it is to open up your heart to someone. You're the only person that I have ever wanted to take that leap with and you are going to be ok."

"... I know." Dylan said, feeling the certainty of it for the first time.

"So, I promise to always keep you safe..." Kelly said with a devilish hint in her eyes, "but only if you promise to keep me _wild._"

Dylan smirked and nodded, "It's a deal."

Kelly quickly kissed his cheek before resting her head on his shoulder. It looked like her prayers were being answered.

* * *

_Dylan's speech at the end was one of my favourite parts to write... just summing up that although Brenda wasn't the one for him, she taught him how to love the one who was for him, and that's a beautiful thing._

_Let me know what you think! _


	19. Soulmates

_Thank you for your reviews! So glad you liked my take on Jack's death. It's one of my favourite chapters (I feel like I'll be saying that a lot throughout this story, but it's true!)_

_The first part of this chapter will be well known among any DK fans, but it's an important set up for a little romantic twist at the end that will pop up again in later chapters... I hope you enjoy!_

_Based on 3x25_

* * *

Chapter Nineteen- Soulmates

Just as things started to look up for Dylan again, things started to go downhill for Kelly. She had been suffering with some serious body image issues, which no one could quite believe. Any girl at West Bev would give an arm and leg to trade places with Kelly Taylor. She was so beautiful, but in Kelly's mind, she was getting fat and she needed to lose weight. She started taking diet pills to combat the issue to the dismay of the people around her. Donna, David and Dylan all tried to get her off them, but she wasn't listening. What they didn't realise was that she hadn't been taking them properly and hadn't eaten anything in the two weeks she was taking them. Everything soon caught up to her and she passed out at her surprise birthday party and was rushed into hospital. Dylan had rarely felt fear like it when he rushed into the bathroom at the Pit and saw Kelly lying there. He felt like he had somehow failed her in not getting her off those pills. He also felt like the universe was out to get him. They'd just taken his father, were they really about to take the person he loved the most in this world too? It just seemed _cruel_. Thankfully, she was ok, but the doctor made her promise to eat and attend an eating disorder group, while Dylan swore to protect her more than he had. He swore to make sure she knew everyday that she was perfect just the way she was.

In the midst of all the chaos, Brenda had also decided she was done phasing Dylan and Kelly out of her life. She made amends with Kelly and tried to move on. She figured since Kelly's hospital stay, life was too short to hold grudges and she need to focus on the positives in her life, otherwise her pain was just going to weigh her down.

The next senior activity on the cards for the West Bev gang was the senior poll. Every year, the senior class voted in a variety of categories including biggest flirt, most likely to become successful, class clown and of course—most beautiful. They all took it strangely seriously, well, _almost_ everyone.

"Guess who?" Kelly said as she covered Dylan's eyes as he lay across the wall.

"Well it has to be the prettiest girl in West Bev." he said as Kelly moved in front of him.

"If that's the way you feel, why didn't you call me back last night?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and he sat up.

"I lose track of time when I'm writing, though, you smell insanely good today, I wish I had called you back..." Dylan said as he pulled her towards him by the belt hooks on her jeans.

"Hm... so you say." Kelly said as she pushed her hand against his chest to stop him from pulling her closer.

Dylan frowned; "What? You think I was playing around behind your back?" he said as he playfully poked her sides.

Kelly chuckled, "No, I was kidding." she conceded as she finally stopped pushing and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I know... it's just, I've been grappling with some pretty heavy things and writing about my dad..." Dylan said quietly. He had always found it difficult to express himself out loud, he just hoped what he wrote on paper somehow made sense.

"I know. How's it going?" Kelly asked as she fixed the front of his hair.

"I don't know. I'm too close to it, I have to make some last-minute revisions."

Kelly smiled, "So you're almost done?"

"Almost."

"When do I get to read it?" she said excitedly.

"When it's finished, like everybody else." he said as he gave her a kick kiss before wiggling free of her hold and jumping off the wall.

"I understand" Kelly said as Dylan started to walk away.

"I knew you would."

"Where are you going? Aren't you going to stick around to hear the results of the senior poll?"

Dylan scoffed; _"No."_ Why would he want to associate himself with the senior poll? To him, it was the most ridiculous thing in the world.

Kelly pouted, "You're going to make me go through this all by myself?"

Dylan chuckled, "You're a big girl Taylor, I think you can handle it."

"You are a _coward_!" she teased as he merely shrugged and walked away.

* * *

"Did somebody order take out?" Kelly questioned as Dylan opened his front door to her.

Dylan playfully turned around, "Did somebody order take out?" he shouted into his house as Kelly giggled. "No, you've got the wrong house."

Kelly slipped under Dylan's arm as he closed the door. "You're in a strange mood." she observed as she started lifting the food out.

Dylan shrugged; "You always do that to me. Ever since kindergarten when you gave me half your cookie."

Kelly smiled widely, "I cannot believe you remember that!"

"I remember all kinds of things. I've been flashing back to my memories a lot lately and it's astounding how many of them you are in." Dylan said with a smile. Part of him wasn't surprised this was the case. Practically all his happy memories from his childhood were to do with her.

Kelly chuckled softly, "Well we have had quite the life together in our short 18 years on this Earth."

"You know I took a pilgrimage down to the old playground. You should do it sometime it'll get you back to your roots in a hurry." Dylan said. He expected to feel an overwhelming sense of sadness when he went to that playground. In his mind it was often a place of loneliness. He associated it with his mother leaving and his father being absent. But for some reason, when he was standing by the gate, he felt calm and the only memories he could think of were those in which Kelly Taylor made him feel wanted and important.

"Oh yeah, that's just what I need." she replied sarcastically. Kelly doubted she would remember anything about kindergarten if she went there. Her roots, like Dylan's weren't so great.

"Prettiest girl in Beverly Hills—that's just what I need..." Dylan said as he moved her hair back and kissed down her jaw. In an unsurprising turn of events, Kelly and Dylan had won most beautiful and most handsome—not that Dylan even remotely cared.

"Dylan..." Kelly said as she tried to get his attention, but he kept kissing. "They're taking the pictures for the senior poll tomorrow..." she began as Dylan finally lifted his head to see where she was going with this. "They want us to dress appropriately for the category, so I was thinking, I would wear a really elegant evening gown and you could wear a tux." she suggested with a smile, excited to have this photo taken with her boyfriend.

"How about you wear whatever you want and I will wear a bag over my head." Dylan replied as he tried to kiss her again, but Kelly moved away.

"Dylan. You can't be serious."

"I am serious."

Kelly scoffed and sat back on the sofa, "It's bad enough that you wouldn't come to the quad with me when they announced the results but now you want to wear a bag over your head? What are you trying to say?"

"That I think this whole senior poll thing is a big joke, it's nothing to do with you." he said as he rested his chin on her knee.

"Well, I think it has everything to do with me since I'm standing next to you in the picture." Kelly said as she pushed Dylan away and stood up, walking away from him. "Winning most beautiful isn't the most important thing in my life either."

Dylan sighed. He figured this definitely wasn't worth getting into a fight over. It was just a photo at the end of the day. "Ok, forget I said anything, I'll wear the Fred Astaire suit, top hat, tails, we'll have a great time."

Kelly glared and put her hands on her hips, "Don't do me any favours."

Dylan smirked at her, "Come here." he said quietly and seductively as Kelly thought about it for a moment before walking towards her. She really just couldn't resist him.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and his slid across her waist and she kissed him, slow and steadily.

"Should have won the sexiest, best lover..." Dylan said as he started kissing down her neck and pulling at the strings in her blouse.

Kelly frowned, "Is that all I am to you?"

Dylan lifted his head, "Are you kidding? You are a _goddess_. You—are _everything_." he said before kissing her again, deepening it in a split second. His hands were gripped firmly around her waist as he trapped her against the beam between his living room and dining area.

Kelly's hands roamed through Dylan's hair as she felt a shot of electricity run through her body. Any time she was with him it felt like she was on _fire._ She had never felt anything like it, and it was how she knew this was true and this was real. It was often easier to express how much they cared physically than through words. Yet, something felt _off_ about this. She felt that sex probably wasn't the answer to her telling him she wanted to be more than most beautiful. It was like he was only with her because of that. As ridiculous as it might have seemed—that was how she felt. But she couldn't tear herself away. Not when she wanted him just as bad.

Dylan's hands roamed down her back until they came to her behind and he gently lifted her up. He walked her back a few meters and set her on the table. Kelly hooked her legs firmly into his side and brought him flush against her as she broke the kiss momentarily to remove his t-shirt. Meanwhile, Dylan's hands roamed up Kelly's thighs, wishing there was no clothing separating them right now.

"Have I ever shown you my bedroom?" he teased between kisses.

Kelly chuckled lowly, "every chance you get." she replied before giving him a bruising kiss.

"Well- it's different this time." he said as he lifted her up and carried her to the other end of the house, ready to show her how much he loved her.

* * *

The following day, Kelly stood in front of the bathroom mirror in her evening gown, getting ready for the photo. She listened as Andrea and Donna talked about mascara and their outfits and couldn't help but feel ridiculously insecure.

"You don't need mascara Andrea, you have great eyes." Kelly pitched in as she stared intensely at her reflection.

"You have great everything." Andrea replied.

Kelly sighed, "Only if I work at it."

Donna scoffed, "Oh yeah, Kelly Taylor, total carb chaser."

"You have to admit my eyelashes are invisible and I'm as pale as a ghost." Kelly said, repeating her own mother's words to her that morning. "I have no cheek bones and my nose is never going to be quite right."

Donna rolled her eyes, "Would you can the self-pity? Like every girl in the school wouldn't trade places with you in a second."

"I'll trade. Let them spend their whole lives trying to look unforgettable just so they can never be taken seriously."

"You're being ridiculous!"

Kelly turned to look at Donna, "Am I? I just said nobody takes me seriously and you didn't take me seriously, did you?"

Andrea took Donna's glare as an opportunity to try and calm Kelly's insecurities, "From what Dylan has been writing, I'd say he takes you very seriously."

Kelly frowned, "You've read Dylan's manuscript?"

"Yeah. It's terrific Kelly and the things he's written about you... it just proves that love is real." Andrea said with a smile before walking away.

Kelly didn't even hear what Andrea said about her and Dylan's love. All she heard was that someone had read his manuscript when he told her it wasn't finished. Kelly slammed her make up brushes down and stormed out of the bathroom to find Dylan, leaving Donna completely confused.

Kelly soon found Dylan standing in the quad waiting for her.

"When can I read your manuscript?" she demanded as Dylan turned around to look at her.

"I told you, when it's finished."

Kelly crossed her arms, "Why is it good enough for Andrea to read?"

"Because she's my editor and she's the one who got me into writing in the first place." he replied, not liking where this was going.

"Well then why don't you go to bed with her?" Kelly shouted as a few people turned their heads to see what the commotion was about.

Dylan looked at her, completely confused, "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I really resent being good enough to sleep with but not good enough to show your writing to." Kelly said as Dylan pinched the bridge of his nose, finally understanding why Kelly had been acting so weird the past few days. She was completely insecure about their relationship. Ever since it became more than friendship, she was worried he only ever saw her as a sex object. "We used to share everything Dylan but as soon as you got me in your bed, I'm the _last_ person you want to talk to about anything!"

"That is _not_ true, you can read it, I don't care!"

"Only because you want me to shut up, not because you value my opinion."

Dylan sighed. He figured this could be a situation where no matter what he said, Kelly would find fault in it.

"Kelly, you know I value your opinion, I value your opinion more than anyone else in my life, I always have-"

"No, you value the way I look and the way I dress or the fact that I have sex with you but you don't listen to anything I say!" she shouted, jumping to some major conclusions.

Dylan started to get angry and frustrated, "I don't _listen_ to you? Who was I listening to when I picked out this stupid hat and this stupid cane?" he said as he threw them away. "I didn't even want to have this picture taken anyway!"

"_Fine_, we won't take it!" Kelly shouted as she started to walk away, but Dylan grabbed her hand and turned her around. He knew this meant something to her and he wasn't going to let it get ruined over a stupid fight.

"I want to." he said with certainty in his voice.

"Then don't forget to smile for the camera." she replied as she snapped her hand away from his and stormed away.

* * *

After giving Kelly some time to cool off, Dylan made his way round to her house to smooth things over and get to the bottom of what was bothering her. He knew it was about more than his manuscript considering she had ended up in hospital a few weeks ago because of an eating disorder. When he got to the house, David told him that she had taken off following yet another fight but this time with her mother. He also told him that Kelly had been in an eating disorder group, which Dylan had _no_ clue about. David guessed she had gone down to the beach, but Dylan had a funny feeling she was elsewhere. His hunch was right when he walked into the old playground and found her looking at her feet while swinging gently on the swing. He stood behind her and saw her back stiffen when she realised he was there.

"I thought I might find you here. I used to push you on this same swing." Dylan said with a little laugh as he held on to the chains of the swing.

Kelly scoffed, "So you could look up my dress."

"That definitely wasn't me... you know, I remember when you jumped off this thing and skinned your knee. You didn't want anybody to see you cry so you just stood there bleeding, trying to smile."

"It's not that easy anymore Dylan." Kelly said as she stood up and walked over to the climbing frame. "So why don't you do me and everybody else a favour and go back to Brenda."

"Is that really what you want?" Dylan asked as he sat on the picnic table. He already knew the answer. Of course that wasn't what she wanted, she was just angry.

"It doesn't matter what I really want. I'm just a stupid, blonde, bitch who's not really worth it."

"I disagree." Dylan said without a moment of hesitation.

"So why don't you talk to my father? He never bothers to call me anymore. Or my mom who probably hates me right now. Or all the boys I put out for in the 10th grade and _never_ heard from again-"

"Kelly-"

"Or why don't you talk to Brenda and find out how it _really_ feels to have somebody you trust go behind your back and steal your boyfriend."

"That's not how it happened, that's not even close to how it happened." Dylan defended. Sure, there was their momentary indiscretion over the summer, but _he chose her_. There was no stealing, no scheming. Just pure, uncontrollable love. "That's part of what I've been writing about."

Kelly scoffed and walked back to the swings, "Thank you for reminding me about _that_." she spat as she sat down.

Dylan sighed, "Kelly, do you have any idea how difficult it is for me to share that with anybody? Even _you_? You're not the only one who wants to end up as more than best looking in a senior poll!"

"You are already so much more than that and you know it." Kelly quickly defended. No matter the fight they were having, she refused to let Dylan think so little of himself.

"How do I know it? You are the only person who has ever told me I'm smart or worth knowing and while that means a lot—it takes more than one person to believe in you and I know you feel the same way." Their constant reassurance got them through life on some dark days, but neither of them could deny that their parents, and a few others, royally screwed them up. "We are two little kids who had to walk home from school by ourselves because our parents forgot to pick us up."

Kelly looked at her feet, "I guess we're both basket cases."

"No." Dylan said as he shook his head. "_We're soulmates_." he said with the smallest smile but the brightest eyes. "If you hadn't called me that day at the marina, I would have fried in that car. I miss Jack, I miss him more than I can tell you but—I'm not unhappy to be alive and most of my life, I couldn't say that. I care what you think, I don't care that you're in an eating disorder group Kel. If you told me you never wanted to sleep with me again, I could live with that! Because—because what we have is about so much more than just sex and my writing and your insecurities." he said as he watched Kelly's eyes flood with tears.

Dylan reached into his bulky jacket pocket and lifted out a pile of letters wrapped in a ribbon that looked a little tattered. He stood up and walked towards her.

"Here" he said as he handed her the letters.

Kelly ran her hand over the front and saw that the first one was addressed to her. "What are these?"

"Sometimes I find it a little hard to express just how much you mean to me... I guess I've always found it easier to write down. So, I've been writing you these letters, though I only ever sent you one..."

Kelly nodded her head, "before you left after the SAT fiasco."

"Yeah"

Kelly looked down at the letters again and noticed he had written the dates in the corner of the envelopes. Kelly raised her eyebrows and she saw the first day. "This is dated 1985." she said in disbelief. He had been writing her letters for _eight_ years?

Dylan chuckled, "the first one I ever wrote was when I kissed you in the tree house. I'm sure it's a cheesy mess. I doubt I was much of a word's smith at 10."

Kelly smiled before untying the ribbon and looking through the letters, recognising all the dates they were written as if they were yesterday. "Our pact, Ross Webber, when I started dating Steve, when you started dating Brenda, the fashion show in sophomore year, karaoke, the pool hall incident, my mom's wedding, our kiss on the beach, our night at paradise cove, our first time, when your dad died, my eating disorder..." she said, rhyming off just a few of the letters. "I can't believe you wrote all of these."

Dylan shrugged lightly, "Like I said, sometimes it's easier to write it down."

Dylan reached into his other pocket and lifted out another, slightly better preserved, letter. "Here's one for tonight."

Kelly took the letter and smiled softly when she saw who he had addressed it to.

"... to my soul mate." she repeated before looking up at him. "You know, when I rang you that day at the marina, all I really wanted to do was hear your voice."

"Do you still want to?"

_"Always."_

Dylan stepped forward as Kelly wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, never wanting to let him go.

* * *

After Dylan took her home, Kelly made amends with her mother. They decided to maybe see a therapist to discuss the issues of their past that they had kind of pushed under the rug. From Jackie's drug problem to Kelly's image problems that were fuelled by her mother's desire for them to always look pretty.

After getting ready for bed, Kelly settled down with Dylan's letters in front of her. She still couldn't quite wrap her head around the fact that someone loved her so much that he wrote her letters ever since they were 10 years old. If she was looking for proof that it wasn't just about sex, this was most definitely it.

She decided to read the one from tonight first before she delved into the other ones.

_To my soulmate,_

_While we always manage to make life more bearable for one another, we somehow find a way to make it more difficult too. I suppose if you've known someone for so long, you're bound to know all the right ways to hurt them. I'm sorry for any pain I have caused you. I could not fathom wanting to hurt someone who is the brightest light in my life._

_The Buddhists say that your soulmate will bring you peace. When you find them, it's like you're coming home from a long-awaited journey. When I came to your house that night to tell you I chose you—I had never felt so at peace with anything in my life. I had never felt so sure. That's how I know that you are the only person in the world for me. That's how I know it's you and me—forever._

_I love you more than you could ever imagine. It consumes me and I knew from the moment I met you, I would never be the same. I love you with every breath, smile and tear of my life. __My dad reminded me that when were children, I used to look at you like you were an angel and I know I will forever look at you this way. I was your first kiss Kelly Taylor and I intend to be your last._

_All my love,_

_Your soulmate_

The following day, Dylan also gave Kelly his manuscript, which he had dedicated to her, to read. Not because he felt obliged, but because he wanted to. They had their picture taken for the poll, but no fancy outfits—just them, because that was all they could ever want and need.


	20. Legacies

_So glad you all enjoyed my little twist last chapter... the letters are something that's going to come up throughout the story- and in quite a significant way at the very end, so stayed tuned..._

_For now, time to round up season 3 with a happy little chapter._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Twenty- Legacies

A few weeks later, Kelly and Dylan sat in Dylan's living room eating their way through a bowl of strawberries before school. Prom was fast approaching and everyone was excited about it. Well,_ almost_ everyone. Brenda couldn't get into the spirit of it because the last big school event she had been to was the sophomore spring dance with Dylan, and it was pretty special. She didn't really want to go to prom much to everyone's upset.

"So, does your mom know you come over here every day before school?" Dylan asked.

Kelly giggled,_ "No_, though I think she's starting to get a little suspicious considering I take off in the opposite direction of school every morning."

Dylan smirked, "Yeah, that might give it away. What time is it?"

"Who _cares_? We've only got two weeks left, what are they going to do? Kick us out?"

"You know, I don't know what tastes better, these strawberries or you" he said before kissing her.

_"Me_." Kelly confirmed.

"Eh..." he teased as Kelly lightly swatted him in the arm.

"Why don't we just skip school altogether and stay in bed all day?" Kelly teasingly suggested as she quirked an eyebrow and kissed his jaw.

"As tempting as that sounds Taylor, I can't. If I don't go to AP English Myers will have my head." Dylan said with a grimace. It was one of the conditions that allowed him to join the class so late in the semester after all. Though he would certainly give anything to spend a whole day in bed with Kelly. It was exactly what had inspired him for prom. "I have been thinking about prom night though."

Kelly smiled widely, "What did you have in mind?" She had been excited for prom since she was a little kid and Dylan knew that. He knew he had to make it special.

"Well, we've got to get out of there early, that goes without saying..."

"Hey, we could get a room down the hall from all the other seniors." Kelly suggested, concerned that Dylan's idea of a good time wasn't exactly the same as hers. After all, Dylan would do anything to avoid a class activity.

Dylan groaned, "Come on Kel, you've got to give me a little credit for originality. If I get a room anywhere it's going to be at the top of Nob Hill, the Fairmont Hotel."

Kelly perked up with excitement, "In San Francisco?!"

"I have to go to Berkley to see a Professor friend of Myers' so I thought we could make a weekend of it."

"That will be so cool! We can go sailing in the bay, we can ride the cable cars and eat in China Town." Kelly said as she happily ate the strawberries.

"We could have breakfast in bed—hell, we could have lunch in bed, dinner in bed..." Dylan said as he leaned forward and kissed her as she couldn't help but giggle with excitement. "What do you say Taylor?"

"A million times yes, but—I have to ask my mom first."

"Make her say yes."

"I will."

"If you don't, I will..." he said as Kelly set the strawberries down and Dylan lowered her back onto the sofa with a searing kiss.

* * *

After successfully managing to convince Jackie to let her go to San Francisco for the weekend, Kelly couldn't wait for prom night. Dylan couldn't remember the last time he had seen her in such a good mood. She was determined to make this a night she would always remember with her friends and her love and she just knew it would be a night she would look back on with the fondest of memories.

When Dylan arrived at the Taylor house to pick Kelly up, he was instantly reminded that he was the luckiest guy on Earth. When he saw her in her dress, he knew he was right all those years ago when he said she was an angel.

_"You are the prettiest girl I have ever seen."_

He had told her as he stared at her with complete wonder in his eyes. Kelly blushed immediately and smiled widely.

_"You're not so bad yourself handsome." _She replied with a wink.

Jackie took a ridiculous number of photos of them before they finally escaped out the door and to Dylan's car. As Dylan drove through the streets of Beverly Hills to Mel's apartment they talked and they laughed about anything and everything. The moments in their relationship where they could just sit back and relax and enjoy each other's company without a care in the world were without a doubt their favourite. Nothing ever felt righter than the normality of it. They had been through a lot together and to be able to do this made everything worth it.

When they arrived at the prom with their friends, they were surprised by the condoms and cards to call a cab if they got drunk that were sitting at their seats. Soon enough the band started playing and Dylan turned to Kelly with a smirk. He rested his hand on her waist and spoke quietly into her ear.

"You want to dance Taylor? Though this time, it's _not_ a one-time offer and it definitely _cannot_ wait." he said as Kelly giggled.

"Well, in that case we better get to that dance floor before the offer expires." she replied as Dylan pulled her hand towards the dance floor.

"This is amazing already" Kelly said with a smile.

Dylan quirked an eyebrow, "Tell me about it" he said with a smirk as he jokingly put the math club condom in his mouth.

_"Dylan!_" Kelly scolded with a laugh that he soon returned.

"I'll save that for later then."

"You are bad." she said as she nudged him in the stomach.

Dylan shrugged, "That's just one of the things you love about me, right?"

"Maybe..." Kelly teased as Dylan placed a kiss on her jaw. "Did you ever think that you and I would be at prom together?"

"I never thought I would be at prom at _all_..." Dylan replied as Kelly playfully rolled her eyes. It wasn't exactly his scene but she knew he was happy to be there with her.

"I don't know what I thought prom would be like when we started high school. I guess I figured I'd end up here with Steve and have a bit of a wild night" Kelly said with a grimace. "But this is much better than I imagined."

"Agreed. There's no one else I'd want to be here with. Even if we were still just friends..."

Kelly laughed, "That seems like another life."

"No going back."

Kelly shook her head, "I don't want to go back."

Dylan kissed her softly and sweetly, "Come on. Let's get your photo taken."

Dylan and Kelly didn't exactly get the photo they desired—they had their lips locked the whole time—but it was perfect to them. If they ever got married and had kids, they couldn't _wait_ to show them this one.

* * *

Just as their evening was coming to an end, Donna ended up getting busted for being drunk. She had a few glasses of champagne on an empty stomach and they went straight through her. Kelly wanted to stay with Donna to be there for her while her parents and the school sorted this mess out, but Donna refused to let her stay. They wouldn't be able to do anything until Monday anyway and she wanted Kelly and Dylan to enjoy their weekend together.

Although Kelly spent the whole weekend worrying about Donna, she and Dylan still had a great weekend. Dylan met with Myer's professor friend while Kelly did a bit of shopping and then they pretty much spent the rest of their time their in bed, eating, laughing and making endless amounts of love. It was _paradise_ and a part of them hated having to come back to Beverly Hills and face reality. They were leaving high school, everyone was starting to take separate paths and it was a scary prospect.

Yet, Kelly felt at peace when she stood in the quad after their graduation ceremony a week later. Everyone around her was smiling and happy and ready to move on. She had a feeling that the most important people in her life would always be there, no matter where they ended up.

Kelly watched Iris McKay snapped a photo of Dylan with Jim and Cindy. They had truly become like parents to him and she was glad that despite everything that went down with Brenda, he could still have a positive relationship with them. They did so much for him and she knew he would always appreciate it.

When Jim and Cindy walked away from him, Kelly quickly swooped in.

"Hi" she said as he smiled and immediately wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him

"Hi" he replied as they smiled softly at each other. "How you doing?"

"Good. Guess where I'm going."

"Dinner with your mom?"

"And my dad."

"Your_ dad?_" Dylan questioned as he turned around and saw Bill Taylor talking away to Jackie. "Ah, Bill Taylor in the flesh... he hasn't changed." The last time Dylan saw Bill Taylor was when they were around 12 years old.

"I know, right?" Kelly said with a little laugh. She loved that her dad hadn't changed. It was like he had never been gone. "He said he was looking forward to seeing you again..." Kelly said with a teasing smile.

Dylan grimaced, "Oh that sounds threatening."

"No it doesn't..." Kelly said as she playfully rolled her eyes. Truthfully, Bill Taylor had always had a soft spot for Dylan and it filled Kelly with the greatest amount of joy.

Dylan watched Kelly as she smiled widely at her parents, her eyes filled with so much happiness.

"It's nice seeing you with a smile this big on your face." Dylan told her as he fixed a piece of her hair that was out of place.

"It's nice _having_ a smile this big on my face." she replied.

"Well, I have something that will make you smile even more..." he said as he reached into his jacket pocket and lifted out a letter.

Kelly's face lit up further and she squealed lightly, "Oo, more mail!" she took the letter from him and her face softened when she read the front of the envelope. "To my dearest friend and my deepest love on our graduation..."

"I think this might be the best one yet..." Dylan teased with a fake air of arrogance.

"I can't wait to read it." she said quietly. "You know, this is how I'm going to remember this day. It was the day I saw my mom and dad in the same place and the day Dylan McKay made me feel more loved than I thought possible."

Dylan smiled at her softly as they looked at each other for a few moments. It was like that one look conveyed a thousand words. One look could convey what words perhaps couldn't. Dylan pulled her in for a tight hug, knowing that this moment right here and the feeling he had holding her in his arms was how he would remember this day.

* * *

"Dylan, the Hollywood sign is that way!" Kelly squealed that night as Dylan drove them to meet their friends for one last night together.

"I know, I know but—there's somewhere we have to go first."

"Where?" Kelly questioned with narrowed eyes. She didn't want to miss putting their sign up so this better be good.

Dylan smirked, "Paradise Cove."

Kelly sat back in her seat with a smile on her face. Of course they had to go to Paradise Cove. They started their high school journey there, so it was only right that's where they finished it. A short drive later they had arrived and they expertly climbed over the stones until they reached their spot.

"I don't think I will ever get over how beautiful this place is at night." Kelly said as she looked out over the ocean and at the sky. Normally, Dylan would be doing the same, but right now, the only thing he could look at was _her._

"It's even more beautiful with you in it."

Kelly laughed, "You are such a _goof_. Since when did you turn to such a smush?"

"Probably around the time you started _calling_ me smush..." Dylan said, recalling how Kelly tried to get the nickname trending because Dylan wasn't a fan.

"Maybe..." Kelly said with a little laugh. Dylan wrapped his arms around Kelly's shoulders from behind as she leaned back against him with a sigh. "I can't believe we're here Dylan. Everything's changing and I just—I don't know how to feel. Especially about you maybe being at Berkley."

"Kel, there are planes leaving from the Bay area every half hour. We'll be sick of each other, I can assure you." Dylan said as he nuzzled his nose against her cheek.

"Oh never." she said with a laugh as she held onto his arms tightly. "And the thought of studying for another 4 years is overwhelming."

"Well, we'll be overwhelmed together."

Kelly scoffed, "You have used that line of my before."

"I have not."

"Yes, you did, that night in the pool." Kelly said, referring to the night of Jack's party and their first day as an official couple.

"Well, that just proves that I meant it..." Dylan reasoned. "But you're right, a lot is going to change but... a lot has already changed over the past four years of high school and we came out the other side in one piece."

"That's true..."

"Do you remember the night we made our pact here?" Dylan asked as he released his hold around Kelly and started walking backwards.

Kelly turned around and watched him, "Of course..."

"Well, then you'll also remember that we wrote a few things down and put them in a little box." he said as he shifted a little rock out of the way and lifted out an old tin mint box.

Kelly gasped, "Oh my god I completely forgot that we did this... I can't believe this box is still here!"

Dylan chuckled, "Neither can I to be honest, but I'm glad that it is. We wrote in here some of our wishes and hopes and dreams for the next four years."

"I can't even remember what I wrote. Something completely ridiculous, no doubt." Kelly replied with a laugh as she lifted out her piece of paper and they sat down in the sand.

"I wish to be spring queen, oh my _god_." Kelly read as she completely cringed.

Dylan laughed, "Well that was a success."

"Yeah, a really strong and shallow start from yours truly..." Kelly said as she rolled her eyes at herself. "I wish to make some new, good, reliable friends. I wish to get into a college of my choosing. I wish... that my mom will get sober."

"Four out of four Taylor. What about number 5?" Dylan asked.

Kelly looked up at him and smiled, "I hope that Dylan McKay will always be the most important person in my life."

"Make that 5 out of 5." he said as she briefly rested her head on his shoulder.

"Your turn McKay"

Dylan lifted out his sheet of paper and began reading through it. "I wish to drive a speedster..."

"Ok now I don't feel so bad about the spring queen wish" Kelly said with a laugh.

Dylan pouted, "You love my speedster, don't even deny it."

Kelly quirked an eyebrow, "We have certainly had some good times in that car..." she teased as she gently nibbled on his jaw.

"Oh, we definitely have and I'm feeling very _inspired_ for tonight..." he teased back as Kelly giggled. "But for now, ... I wish to pass AP English."

_"Dork"_ Kelly grumbled as Dylan lightly nudged her in protest.

"I wish to spend more time with my dad, I wish to see my mom again..."

Kelly gulped as she saw Dylan get emotional after reading what he wanted from his parents.

"Four out of four." Kelly said quietly as she wrapped her arms around one of his and rested her chin on his shoulder. Dylan read the last thing he wrote down and smiled before setting the paper down. "What?" Kelly asked, smiling involuntarily along with him.

"Number five... I hope that Kelly Taylor finally falls in love with me."

Kelly smiled, "I don't think it's possible to love you more than I do right now." she replied quietly as Dylan kissed her head before they turned around and looked out over the ocean again.

* * *

A short while later—after fulfilling their inspirations from earlier—Kelly and Dylan made their way down the Hollywood sign to camp out with their friends. As they made their way down the hill, they saw everyone already sitting there.

"Hi, sorry we're late!" Kelly said cheerfully as Dylan sat against a tree and Kelly leaned against him.

"Do we want to know why you two are so late?" Steve asked suggestively.

Kelly giggled, "Probably not" she replied as Dylan whispered something dirty in her ear and she playfully shoved him away. "Where's the sign?"

"We already put it up." Brandon told them.

Kelly pouted, "Without us?"

"It wasn't so hard, especially when Andrea went up the embankment to set up the bully." Brandon explained.

"I never knew you were so nimble." Brenda said with a laugh.

Andrea smiled and shrugged, "Must be all my years in the circus."

"Quite the life you've had Andrea..." Dylan joked along. "First the circus, now Yale... are you still planning on going?"

Andrea nodded her head, "Yeah. I won't be the first person to take out a mortgage for a great education. Even though I'll miss going to California University with the rest of you."

"I'm not so sure that's where I'll be going myself." Dylan replied.

"You'd rather go to Berkley?" Donna asked.

"Eh" Dylan said with a shrug, not entirely convinced he wanted to go to college at _all_, but he knew it was something his father wanted for him. "I figured I'd spend the summer knocking around Europe and then see what happens."

"How cool bro." Brandon said as he high fived Dylan, but the one person who didn't find it cool was Kelly. How come he never said anything about leaving? Was he even going to tell her? "What about you Bren? Have you decided yet?" Brandon asked.

Donna frowned, "Decided what?"

"Well... I'm not going to Europe but I'm not going to CU either." Brenda explained.

"Are you going to take some time off?" Steve asked.

"No, I'm going to go to the University of Minnesota."

Everyone looked taken aback by Brenda's decision. She really wanted to go back to Minnesota? They all felt guilty that they had no clue Brenda felt this way.

"When did you decide this?" Donna asked.

"I've been thinking about it for a few weeks but I only decided today and then during Andrea's speech I finally felt sure." Brenda explained.

"What did I say?"

"That even if we didn't all end up together, we would be alright. The kind of friendships that we have would last forever." Brenda said.

Kelly felt Dylan squeeze her hand, knowing that that was the confirmation Kelly needed to also know they would be ok. That the change in their lives wouldn't change their friendships.

"I sure will miss you." Kelly said quietly. No matter how rocky their friendship had been the past three years, Kelly still loved Brenda a heck of a lot. She changed her world and she would be forever grateful.

"Not more than me" Donna responded. "I can't believe you're leaving..."

Kelly turned her head to look at Dylan, "I can't believe _you're_ leaving, why didn't you say anything?"

Dylan shrugged, "I don't know... I figured I'll start in Norway then work my way south. Maybe go to Paris, jump over to London see some Shakespeare country and just keep going south until I find the nicest beach in Greece... got a passport?"

Kelly's head shot up and a small smile appeared on her face, "Why? Do you want me to go?"

"No, I want to borrow it." He teased as Kelly playfully rolled her eyes. "Of course I want you to go."

Kelly squealed lightly, "I would love to!" she said as she turned and hugged him.

Steve smiled at his friends, "It's been a great ride with you guys."

The gang chatted for another few hours before they all fell asleep in some fairly awkward positions. They woke up nice and early so they could go and see their master piece. They drove to downtown Beverly Hills to find the perfect view of the Hills and their sign.

**W BEV HI '93**\- plastered across the Hollywood sign for everyone to see.

They all stood tightly against each other, taking in their legacy. They knew that whatever happened next, they would always have this moment to look back on fondly. They would always have each other and nothing would ever change that.


	21. Stubbornness, Jealousy and Guilt

_So... my computer broke last night, and I am attempting to post this chapter from my phone, so hopefully it works!! Let me know if there are any format issues that I might not be able to see._

_T__his is all familiar stuff, but an important set up for the next chapter... enjoy!_

_Based on 4x02-03_

* * *

Chapter Twenty-One- Stubbornness, Jealousy and Guilt

Dylan was frustrated. Kelly was too. It had been two weeks since they had spoken to one another. Two weeks of complete _silence_. They couldn't remember the last time they went so long without seeing and speaking to one another and right now—they were being far too stubborn for their own good.

Their summer in Europe was as picturesque and as magical as they could have hoped. They'd both been before and loved it, but there was something that little bit more special about being there with the person they loved most in the world... well, that was how they felt for the first four weeks anyway. They dined in the finest restaurants, lounged and surfed on the most beautiful beaches and saw all the historical sites before going back to their beautiful hotel suites and ordering ridiculous amounts of room service and making copious amounts of love. It couldn't get any better and they wished they could stay this way forever.

Things took a turn after a quick phone call home and Dylan found out he didn't get into Berkley. After that, he completely shut off. He was disappointed in himself and unsure about his future and he just wanted a little peace- something which Kelly wasn't prepared to give. All Dylan did was read and drink coffee and Kelly was losing her mind. She wanted to do something and she was sick of being ignored all because Dylan was feeling sorry for himself. She was also pissed that he refused to talk to her about it. She guessed spending 24/7 together for a whole month maybe hadn't worked wonders on their relationship. While they spent a lot of time together when they were home, they still had their own stuff and their own space.

After a minor argument, Kelly left Dylan with his book and took a short trip back to Paris for the weekend. When she got back, Dylan was still in the same spot, still drinking coffee—but this time he was talking to a beautiful French girl. Kelly jumped to conclusions and assumed he slept with her in his absence. She liked to think he wouldn't be so cruel and heartless—but France does strange things to people.

_"I go away for three days and suddenly you're all cheered up?!" Kelly shouted at him as he clenched his jaw. Why was he deliberately trying to destroy their relationship?_

_"If you want to believe I slept with her, that's fine with me, you can believe what you want Kelly, I don't care." he spat viciously. "You were right about one thing though, with you out of the picture things were definitely a little more upbeat, you know why? Because I didn't have to listen to all of your whining and complaining and I finally got some peace and quiet."_

_Kelly held back her tears and glared deeply at Dylan, "You want peace and quiet? I'll give you peace and quiet—try not to choke on it!" she shouted before storming away leaving a seething Dylan behind her._

When Kelly told Donna this part of the story, she was shocked.

_"I can't believe Dylan did that! Why would he do that? He's so stupidly in love with you!"_

Kelly could only assume that it was because men were never satisfied- no matter how in love they claimed to be. But when she told Donna the rest of the story, she realised Kelly wasn't much of a saint in this situation either.

She recalled how there was a cute French bartender named Gaston who had been pestering Kelly to go for a drive with him. Eventually she agreed and he drove her around the French countryside for 3 hours before Kelly managed to convince him to take her back. Truth was, she'd already did this drive with Dylan and loved it, but there was something about being here with someone other than Dylan that made her hate it.

When she got back to the hotel she found Dylan in his usual spot, but he was angry. She decided to push his buttons as a way of revenge for how he treated her a few days earlier. When he demanded to know where she had been, she told him Gaston took her for a drive and then back to his apartment 'where they had a great time.'

Dylan's jaw clenched and his eyes glazed over as he stood up and walked towards Kelly who stood defiantly with her arms crossed.

_"Is it true what they say about the French lovers? Was it good?" Dylan spat to which Kelly quickly raised a hand and slapped him._

_"Very good." she said through her teeth, before packing her bags and leaving in alone in France._

She certainly wasn't going to stick around while he destroyed what they had over something so stupid. Though, she knew she really shouldn't have provoked him. They always did know how to exactly push each other's buttons.

So, for the past two weeks, they didn't say a word to one another. Matters were made worse when Dylan found out Kelly moved into an apartment by the beach and didn't tell him and when Kelly found out Dylan was back and didn't try to call her. They both struggled to understand how, after everything they had been through together, they could go so wrong. They loved each other so much and they let the most stupid thing tear them apart and now their pride was getting in the way of fixing things.

_"Kelly you have to sort this out, this is not a reason for you guys to end! You're Kelly and Dylan, your love is written in the stars, you'll soulmates! If you two can't make it work then all love is doomed."_ Donna had dramatically told Kelly when she told her the last person she wanted to see right now was Dylan.

But that night, neither Kelly nor Dylan could sleep a wink. They felt so guilty and so lonely. As much as they got on each other's nerves in the last two weeks of their trip, they still felt so empty without the other. The next morning Kelly put her pride aside and went over to Dylan's house. Just as she was about to knock on the door, it swung open to reveal Dylan with his car keys in hand. Clearly he had the same conviction to go and see her.

They merely stared at each other, unsure what to say. Kelly crossed her arms and shifted awkwardly.

"I heard you were back." she said quietly.

Dylan shrugged, "I'm back. Culture shock hasn't worn off yet."

"Were you ever going to call?"

"Were you ever going to give me your number?" he countered.

Kelly nodded in defeat, "I guess we're even then."

"On all counts." he said as his jaw clenched yet again at the thought of Kelly being with someone else.

Kelly sighed before she finally gave in a spilled her guts, "Dylan, I was such an idiot. I was selfish and jealous and mean and I know you're probably not going to believe me but I never slept with that guy. I only let you think I did to make you mad-"

Dylan leaned forward and cut Kelly off with a searing kiss. He pulled her into the house slightly as she gave into him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders while he rested his hand on the door frame behind her. They briefly broke apart but remained only a breath away.

"I really missed you." she said quietly.

"I missed you too" he replied as their noses brushed. "And for the record Kel, I never slept with Brigette either."

Kelly smiled, "I knew that... you're stupidly in love with me."

Dylan frowned, "Who said that?" he teased as Kelly shoved him lightly. "I am really sorry about how our trip ended. I got so caught up in the Berkley thing and I was mad at myself and I took it out on you and that wasn't fair."

"It's ok, I know it was a disappointment for you... but—there's still CU." Kelly said hopefully.

"... I'll maybe check it out"

Kelly squealed lightly, "I am glad to hear that. So, we're having a little house warming tonight if you want to come over now and help me set up."

"I will... but first, I think there are more pressing matters we need to attend to..." he said with a smirk which Kelly wilfully returned.

"Oh is that so?"

"Yeah... and then we definitely need to think about christening your apartment..."

Dylan kissed her again and pulled her fully into the house. It always amazed them both how they could never stay mad at each other for long and they hoped it would always stay this way.

* * *

_"I still haven't heard one answer that makes any sense!"_ Kelly shouted at Dylan as they stood in his living room.

It appeared that their momentary bliss was indeed momentary. After arriving at CU the following Monday morning to enrol in classes, Dylan couldn't face it. He just didn't want to be here, he didn't feel settled at all and his reluctance was _infuriating_ Kelly.

"What are you planning on doing if you don't go to school?" Kelly demanded to know.

Dylan shrugged, "I don't know, maybe I'll travel?"

"Alone?"

"You can go with me."

Kelly scoffed, "Oh no, going away for the summer is one thing but the first semester of college is another!"

"It doesn't have to be." he said nonchalantly. How could he not be taking this seriously?

"Dylan, I got my psych class, I got art history with Donna, I got an apartment! I'm actually excited about being at CU with my friends and especially with you." she pleaded. "I thought you on board with this whole college thing, I thought you were going to give it a chance."

"What's the point Kelly? It all sucks-" he whined like a child.

Kelly groaned, "We haven't even started yet, how can you say it sucks?!"

"Would you get off my back already?" he exclaimed, finally losing it at her berating.

Kelly put her hands on her hips ready to fight back. "No, Dylan, I won't get off your back because I refuse to stand around and watch you throw your future away because you're feeling sorry for yourself!"

Dylan raised his eyebrows, "Feeling sorry for myself? You think that's what this is?"

"Uh, yeah, I do."

"That's real nice Kel,_ real_ understanding." he replied as he threw the book he was holding down onto the coffee table.

Kelly sighed and ran a hand over her forehead, "Dylan, I am not going to sit and pander to you, especially when I think you're making a mistake." She had never done that in her life. She was always prepared to give him some tough love when necessary, now was no exception.

"What happened to it not being written in stone that everyone has to go to college after high school?" Dylan asked, remembering that she was pretty supportive of his choice of not going back in high school.

"It's not written in stone, but you have an amazing opportunity sitting right at your feet Dylan and I hate to see you waste your potential so you can bum around! If you had a plan that was actually going to take you somewhere and not just leave you reliant on your millions then maybe I would be a bit more understanding. We're not kids anymore Dylan, it's time to grow up." she replied honestly. She always feared that Dylan would become reliant on his millions and do nothing with his life. She saw so much potential in him and if she was ever hard on him, it was because she knew the man he was and the man he could be.

Dylan shook his head, "I really don't want to have this conversation right now."

Kelly held her hands up to surrender. "_Fine._ Excuse me for trying to help." she said quietly before she left Dylan's house completely defeated.

* * *

After his fight with Kelly, Dylan made his way to the Peach Pit in the hopes that a mega burger would somehow solve his problems. When he got there, he found Brenda looking about as miserable as he felt. She had come home from Minnesota after a bad start and didn't know what to do with herself either. They soon decided to take a walk on the pier and somehow ended up going fishing. While he was out there, he got the head space to realise that maybe Kelly was right. Maybe this college thing was something he should give a chance. There were some great English literature classes he could take and maybe he could find something else interesting. He figured it wouldn't hurt to at least _try_ and be positive.

After leaving Brenda home, Dylan made his way round to Kelly's apartment. He walked through the door and smiled when he saw Kelly washing dishes.

"David, if you use the kitchen again I'm going to-" Kelly began, but turned around and saw Dylan with a small smile on his face and his hands shoved in his pockets. "Hi" she said quietly.

"Having a bubble bath?" He asked her as he leaned against the counter with his arms crossed.

"I'm glad to see you." she said quietly. She had been feeling pretty guilty since their fight and realised she was in no position to judge Dylan's choice or to control his life. He should do whatever made him happiest.

"You're not too bad on the eyes either." he flirted as Kelly smiled.

"Where you been? I left you a message."

"I've been fishing all day with Brenda. It was actually pretty fun." he said as Kelly looked down, trying not to let her jealousy get the better of her. "Hey, we're just friends, remember?"

Kelly nodded, "I know. You still mad at me?"

"No. Are you still mad at me?"

"I don't think I could ever stay mad at you." she said with a little laugh that Dylan returned.

"Good. I'm going back to school tomorrow."

"Really?" Kelly said with a wide smile as she turned to fully face him.

Dylan nodded, "You were right Kel. I want to write, I want to read poetry, I want to use my brain. I figured with late registration and everything I could still get in."

"You're going to love it Dylan" she said happily, loving that he knew something he was passionate about and was going after it.

"Hey, what do you call the dumbest fish in school?"

_"You"_ Kelly said as she put soap suds on his nose.

Dylan laughed before kissing her and Kelly squealed lightly, getting more and more soap suds over him, but he didn't care. Not one bit.


	22. Growing Pains

_Kelly and Dylan are still clashing over college in this chapter... but there's a little moment at the end (that also involves a bittersweet moment for Brenda) that makes up for all the fighting. Enjoy!_

Chapter Twenty-Two- Growing Pains

Kelly had decided that she wanted to get the full college experience and managed to convince Donna, Brenda and Andrea to pledge a sorority with her. She figured it could be a fun way to meet new people and make life long friends and get involved with college life. Steve was also pledging at the keg house and they were all excited to get into the thick of it—though a small part of them dreaded all the stupid things they would probably end up doing in order to get in.

Kelly was also a little worried about a certain keg house member she bumped into—John Sears. John was a few years above them at West Bev and he expertly managed to spread rumours around school about her after she rejected him for a date. To her he was scum of the earth, but he was determined to change her mind no matter what it took and he planned to start his mission at the first keg party of the year.

While Kelly was fully embracing the college experience, it was safe to say that Dylan had gone the opposite direction. He wasn't interested in stupid parties with some dumb jocks. He just wanted to study and hang out with his friends at the pit and lead a quiet existence. Kelly had begged him to come to the party with her, but as soon as he heard the theme was disco fever, he was out. He claimed that he'd missed disco fever the first time round, in what world would he want to catch it now? Kelly also assured him that she would be wearing a short, tight outfit that would definitely be worth breaking his no frat rule but he still wouldn't go for it. It was frustrating to her, but she also didn't want to Dylan to have to compromise himself to please her. But- Was it really too much to ask for him to come to _one_ party with her? He always went to parties in high school and she knew she told him they needed to grow up, but that didn't mean eliminate _all_ avenues of fun from their lives.

_"Do you hate me?"_

_"Yes. I hate you... But I love you more..." _she had conceded when he turned her down. She really couldn't stay mad at him for long, but she did feel like getting Dylan to embrace the college experience was going to be like pulling teeth.

Soon enough, the keg party was in full swing and Kelly laughed from the sidelines as Steve danced around the place like a lunatic. He really was at home in a sorority and she really hoped it worked out for him. Kelly also had high hopes for herself, but she figured they were probably dashed when she saw John talking to Leslie, the president of Alpha house. He was probably telling her all about their time in high school and spinning his_ lies_ again—which was why Kelly was totally confused when he came over to her and was _nice_ to her.

"Are you having a good time?" he asked trying to speak loud enough over the music.

"Yeah, everyone is." Kelly said as pleasantly as she could.

"You look_ dazzling!_" he complimented.

Kelly scoffed, "must be the polyester."

"I'm really glad you're here Kelly, it's great that we can catch up." he said with a smile.

Kelly furrowed her eyebrows, "I'm confused, aren't you the same guy who spent a year trying to _ruin_ my life?" As if she hadn't had enough to deal with following the Ross Webber incident in high school, John Sears' ego just had to had insult to injury.

"I'm not that guy anymore." he insisted as Kelly merely courtly nodded her head. "Do you want to dance? We don't have to though, it can wait."

Kelly's face fell further. Dylan always used that line on her and she really didn't enjoy hearing it from anyone else but him, especially when it was dry of any meaning coming from Sears. With Dylan, it was about so much more than a dance.

"No, I'm ok." she said as she shook her head, wishing more than anything that Dylan was here. She all of a sudden felt ridiculously lonely is this overcrowded room.

"Ok... how about we go outside and talk? It's quieter."

Kelly hesitated for a minute. Maybe if she gave him one conversation he would back away. Plus, she wasn't opposed to listening to him grovelling for her forgiveness- not that he deserved it.

"Sure..." she said, still a little uncertain, but she followed him into the patio anyway.

"I uh—I owe you a big apology." John said as they stood by one of the beams.

"Yeah, you do." Kelly said—she wasn't about to let this go easily.

"I've really tried to grow up since then Kelly."

Kelly crossed her arms, "Have you had any success?"

"You could find out for yourself." he said with a teasing smirk. "You've changed a lot, maybe I have too." John lifted her hand and ran his thumb over it, not breaking eye contact with her.

"I have a boyfriend." Kelly said immediately and she snatched her hand away from him.

John frowned, "Well, where is he? Because if you were my girlfriend, I'd be with you at every party just to make sure guys like me don't crawl all over you."

Kelly chuckled, "Dylan's not that big into parties."

"Dylan? Not Dylan _McKay?_" he asked as Kelly nodded her head and John let out a laugh. "That guy followed you around like a love sick puppy! I'm honestly impressed that he managed to win you over, though, the fact that he's not here suggests that maybe he's not that into you after all."

Kelly frowned. A love sick puppy? That couldn't be further from the truth, they were best friends of course they were together all the time! Though, she _certainly_ didn't owe John Sears any explanation about her relationship. She _barely_ knew the guy,_ he_ barely knew _them,_ who was he to judge?

"You don't know a thing about him." Kelly made clear.

"I think I know enough." he said with a scoff.

"_Clearly_ you _don't." _she said through her teeth. "Something tells me you don't know the first thing about being in love. I'm going to go"

Kelly quickly walked towards the door, but John's voice stopped her, "Can I call you?"

Kelly shook her head, "I don't think so."

"I might anyway."

Boy was this guy persistent.

* * *

Kelly got in her car and drove straight to Dylan's without even thinking about it. It was like a reflex to want to be with him, especially after her conversation with John. She saw that his car was gone and his lights were off, but it was late so she figured he couldn't be gone for long. She took her shoes off and sat by his door, her knees tucked into her chest. She knew she didn't do anything wrong tonight, but she couldn't help but feel guilty. Should she have even spoken to John? Especially after what he did to her?

As she contemplated her actions, Kelly heard Dylan pull up onto the curb. As he got out of his car and lifted out his house key, he paused when he saw Kelly sitting there. He cautiously walked towards her, seeing that she looked a little upset.

"Hi" Kelly greeted quietly when he reached her.

"Hi. Something wrong?"

"The party was over and the guy I wanted to go home with wasn't there." she told him as he slid down the door and sat beside her.

"Well, you're home now." he said as he kissed her shoulder.

Kelly smiled softly, "Yeah, I am." she agreed. Home was wherever he was. "I missed you." she said quietly.

"I missed you too." he told her sincerely. As much as he didn't want to be a part of this frat thing, he really had missed spending time with her and he hated that this was turning into an issue.

"Dylan, I was wondering something... why can't you be like everybody else?"

Dylan thought about Kelly's question for a minute. He couldn't be like everybody else because he just_ wasn't_ like everybody else. He also knew that that was one of the reasons Kelly fell in love with him.

"Is that really what you want?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Kelly chuckled, "No. Not at all." She loved every part of him, just like he loved every part of her. They loved all their flaws and their frustrations because without them, they just wouldn't be themselves.

Dylan smirked, "I didn't think so."

Kelly leaned her head on Dylan's shoulder while Dylan breathed in her scent. It made him feel so calm. It made him feel like _he_ was home. It wasn't about a house—home was wherever she was to him too.

* * *

"Kel, it's unbelievable." Dylan said as he excitedly approached Kelly in the CU quad a week later and kissed her. "Do you have any idea who is on campus today?" he asked as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

Kelly smiled at his excitement, "Who?"

"Emule Brewster."

"Oh, they guy who wrote your Kerouac biography." Kelly said, remembering Dylan telling her about it the other night.

Dylan nodded, "It's pretty amazing, Jack Kerouac was the rebel role model for an entire generation and he ended up living with his mother."

Kelly scoffed, "some role model. What time is the lecture?" she asked as they started walking.

"4 o'clock."

"I was sort of hoping we could go to the freshman pool party...?" Kelly asked cautiously, knowing it was a complete long shot but she wanted to ask anyway. At least there was no 'theme' this time.

"Yeah right, the Brady Bunch goes to college..." Dylan mumbled as Kelly stopped walking and stood in front of him.

"Come on Dylan, I really want to go!" she pleaded as she pulled at his arm in a childlike fashion.

"So go Kel, you don't need my permission." he encouraged.

"But I wanted to go with _you_..." she whined. "Everyone will be there, it will be fun!"

"You go to the pool party, I'll go to the lecture and we can meet up afterwards."

Kelly sighed, "Dylan, I am asking you to do _one_ thing with me, would it really be too much to ask for you to _not_ be selfish and come?" she asked, finally losing her patience.

"Kelly-"

"It's just like France all over again, you wrapped up in your little world leaving me out in the cold." she complained, growing more and more frustrated by Dylan's reluctance to do anything she wanted to do.

"This isn't France, all your friends are here." he reasoned.

"_Fine._ I will go with David and Donna." Kelly said through her teeth as she started to walk away.

"Exactly my point!" Dylan called after her.

Kelly spun on her heel, "I don't know what has gotten into you Dylan but ever since the summer we've been poles apart on _everything_ we do and at each other's throats! It's not like us."

Dylan shrugged, "I'm just growing up Kel." he said, using her own words against her.

Kelly folded her arms and scoffed, "Oh so _I'm_ the immature one who wants to enjoy college with her friends?"

"That's not what I'm saying." he said as he closed the gap between them again, not wanting to cause a scene in the middle of the quad.

"You just don't care do you?"

"About what?"

"About _anything_ I want to do!"

"That is _not_ true-" Dylan tried to defend. He couldn't quite comprehend that she was getting so bent out of shape over a stupid pool party.

"Forget about it. Bye." she said shortly before walking away again, leaving Dylan completely frustrated yet again.

Why couldn't they get on the same page?

* * *

Just as he was about to leave for his conference, the guilt started to hit Dylan. He wanted more than anything to spend time with his girlfriend, he just hated that he had to do it surrounded by frat boys. He thought about it and quickly realised that Kelly had been dragged to stuff by him before and she didn't complain. He got her surfing when they were in Spain, she went to a Shakespeare play in London even though she didn't understand _anything_ that was going on, she went to poetry readings in Paris—all because they were things he loved. He figured the least he could do was go to some pool party.

When he walked into the party, he scanned the place for Kelly—and his face fell when he found her. She was talking—and _laughing_—with John Sears. If Dylan remembered correctly, that jerk tried to ruin Kelly's life in high school all because she had the sense to reject him. Dylan seethed with anger and admittedly a spot of jealousy. He slowly made his way over to them, trying to keep his cool.

"Hi" he said as they both turned around and Kelly smiled widely.

"Hi!" she greeted happily as she jumped down from the ledge she was standing on and kissed him. "I'm glad you're here. You remember John Sears from West Bev?" she asked as she awkwardly scratched her head, feeling how tense Dylan was. She then knew Dylan remembered _exactly_ who Sears was.

"Can't say that I do." Dylan said as he refused to shake John's hand. Why would he? This guy was a world class _jerk_.

"Well, I remember you." John said with a knowing smirk. "You were that guy who used to follow Kelly around like a love sick puppy. She finally gave you the time of day, huh?" he asked, repeating his observations yet again.

Dylan clenched his jaw, "Maybe don't comment on something you know nothing about Sears."

John simply nodded, glad that he had hit a nerve. "So, what frat house are you planning on pledging to?"

"The crack house." Dylan replied as Kelly rolled her eyes at the toxic masculinity that was being paraded in front of her.

"Ok..." John said awkwardly as he lifted his drink. "I'll see you guys later..."

John walked away and Dylan turned around to look at a sheepish Kelly.

"John Sears Kel? _Really?_" Dylan asked, not quite believing she was willing to give this guy the time of day.

"Don't worry Dylan, we were just talking-"

"Cause you remember what he did to you in high school, right?" Dylan asked. He remembered all too well the nights Kelly came crying to him over this _jerk._

"Yes, I know, I'm not interested in being his friend, but I'm not going to be rude either... and we could have a fight about it right now, but I don't think that's why you came here..." Kelly said with a sweet smile as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"No, I came here to spend time with you." he conceded as he ran his hands up her arm.

"Well, then let's have some fun! You remember what fun is, don't you?" she teased as she nudged his hip and giggled.

"Ha, ha..." Dylan said with a glare as Kelly grabbed his hand and pulled him into the party.

Following a dance contest which Brenda and David won, everybody started jumping into the pool fully clothed. Dylan took this opportunity to push John in, much to his enjoyment (though in all honesty, he'd rather do _much_ worse to the guy.) He return however, Kelly was quick to push him in—but not before he grabbed her arms and pulled her with him.

"Are you glad you came?" Kelly asked as they swam to the side.

Dylan chuckled, "Don't ever make me do this again." he joked as she laughed, kissed him and then pulled him under water.

* * *

A short while later, Kelly and Dylan walked by the edge of the now empty party in their fresh clothes.

"I had fun today" Kelly said with a smile. It was a strange day but she had fun none the less.

"I'm glad"

"And I don't think I would have had as much fun if you hadn't have shown up" she conceded.

Dylan frowned, "I don't know, you looked pretty cosy with Sears..."

"Dylan, there is nothing going on there." Kelly maintained. Why would she ever want to be with a guy like Sears when she had a guy like Dylan?

Dylan gave her a lopsided smirk, "Why? Cause you're stupidly in love with me?" he asked as he pulled her waist so she was standing closer to him.

Kelly giggled, "No, that's _you_ silly..."

"Oh, ok" he said with a shrug.

Kelly looped her hands around the back of Dylan's neck, "But yeah... I am truly, deeply, madly in love with you" she said quietly "... even when you frustrate the _hell_ out of me."

Dylan placed a hand on his heart mockingly, "Ouch, Kel..."

"But I know we're just finding her feet in a new place." she said seriously, "We don't need to spend every waking moment together to be a couple."

Dylan nodded, "We certainly do not, though, if I could spend every waking moment with you, I would..." he said as he kissed her jaw.

Kelly laughed, "Oh I'd drive you crazy and you know it."

"Maybe... but I think the frustration comes with the territory."

"What territory?"

Dylan smiled, "Of being stupidly, wildly, passionately in love..." he said, twisting her words slightly as he placed a delicate kiss on her cheek. "I know I'm not the most romantic soul in the world but... my heart is yours Kelly Taylor and it always will be."

Kelly smiled widely, "Right back at you McKay." she replied before kissing him sweetly.

Brenda watched from the gate as Kelly and Dylan kissed and then continued to walk around the edge of the pool, laughing and teasing, messing around, threatening to push each other in the pool. Donna soon walked over and looked to see what Brenda was looking at.

Donna let out a little laugh, "maddening, isn't it?"

"What?" Brenda asked as she continued to look at the pair.

"Just how in love they are."

Brenda gulped, "Yeah... I think back to when Dylan and I were together and they were just friends and wonder how I didn't see it. It was so obvious. They were in love with each other before they even knew it themselves." she confessed.

Donna placed a hand on Brenda's shoulder, "Dylan did love you Bren."

"I know, but—it's a different kind of love. Dylan and Kelly's love is rooted deep in their _souls_." Brenda said as she felt her heart break a little. "Come on..." she said as she walked towards the exit, wondering if she would ever find closure on everything.


	23. Take Care

_Dylan gets into some trouble with guns, Sears continues to cause problems and Brenda runs off to Vegas to get married... enjoy! _

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Three- Take Care

After his Porsche had to go in for repairs yet again, Dylan decided that it was probably time to invest in a new car if he wanted to keep the speedster around for a few more years. Not only was it a great car, it also held a lot of special memories. Since he had a significant amount of money waiting for him in his trust, it didn't take much for his friends to convince him another Porsche was the way forward. The one person who wasn't impressed with his purchase, however, was Jim Walsh. He felt like Dylan was just splashing his cash unreasonably and showing off.

Dylan tried not to let Jim get to him but it was proving difficult. He took Kelly out for a late-night drive that night and things only got worse. While they were in down town LA, a guy pulled a gun on them and stole the car. To say they were shaken would have been an understatement, but Dylan took it far harder than Kelly did. Kelly saw it as a freak thing that could have happened to anybody, but Dylan took it personally. He hated that if the guy started shooting, there wasn't anything he could do to protect the person he loved most in this world.

As Kelly walked through CU a few days later, John Sears quickly approached her.

"I heard about the carjacking. Are you ok?" he asked.

"I'm fine" Kelly said courtly, not really interested in gaining his sympathy.

"I tried calling you afterwards."

Kelly sighed and finally stopped walking and turned to face him. "I know, I was busy." she replied. Donna had told her that he left messages but again, he was the last person she wanted sympathy from right now. "You need to stop calling me John."

John smirked, "I told you I'd wait 50 years."

"Well after those 50 years are up, you'll be waiting 50 more." Kelly told him before walking into the middle of the Quad were Dylan was looking at an exhibition from the physics department.

"Hey" she greeted quietly.

"Hi" he said as he stepped off the platform and kissed her.

"How are you doing?" she asked as she placed a hand on his chest.

Dylan shrugged, "I'm doing."

"I'm glad you're back on campus." After it happened, Kelly took one day off and then got back to it, but Dylan was so consumed by the whole thing college was the _last_ place he wanted to be.

"Yeah, I don't exactly want to be here."

"You need to try and get back to normality." Kelly encouraged.

"How can I get back to normality after this Kelly? I don't want to get into another situation where a little punk with a big gun can do a number on me or a situation where I can't protect you." he said, raising his voice slightly in frustration.

"Dylan..." Kelly said as she rested her hands on his cheeks. "I'm _fine_-"

"I should never have asked you to come out with me."

"How were you supposed to know that was going to happen?" she asked as she shook her head.

"Well, I won't be blindsided next time." he said cryptically.

Kelly frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"I'll pick you up, 7pm?"

"Where are we going?"

"The gun range." he said casually as he kissed Kelly's cheek and walked away, leaving her stunned.

* * *

That night, Kelly sat on the porch with Jackie and Erin. They were spending some time together before Mel came to pick Erin up for the weekend. Kelly laughed as she watched Jackie continuously give Erin snacks.

"Mom, I think she's had enough..."

"I just like to make sure she's well fed because who_ knows_ what goes into her mouth after Mel takes her..." Jackie bit. To say things were still frosty between the pair would have been an understatement.

"Well, I'll clean her up because Mel should be here any minute" Kelly said as she lifted out some wipes to clean Erin's hands and face.

"Thanks honey. I want her ready and me long gone before he gets here." Jackie said with an eyeroll.

"Dylan is on his way over too and he will be so happy to see you Miss Erin" Kelly said happily to her little sister who smiled when she heard Dylan's name. Dylan had always been great with Erin. He was always able to make her laugh and keep her calm, no matter the situation. He had the magic touch.

"Big night planned?" Jackie asked.

Kelly sighed and grimaced, "Well, he was a little worked up earlier..."

"Understandably so." Jackie replied. She could only imagine how he was feeling after the car-jacking.

"Yeah and he said he was picking me up at 7 and taking me on a date... to the gun range."

Jackie frowned, "How... romantic?"

"Well according to chapter 4 of my psych book he's going through post-traumatic stress syndrome."

"Please be careful Kelly..." Jackie warned, not loving that she was going to a gun range with her hyper sensitive boyfriend right now.

"I will. You know, the other night was really scary but now I feel fine. I went to see your therapist, I used the coping mechanisms she gave me and they worked like a charm. The only worries I have now, are my worries for _him_." Kelly confessed. She was worried that he was going to snap and something bad would happen.

"Well, as scary as it was, you realise that this doesn't happen every day and you know how to avoid being in a situation like that again. You said yourself that Dylan felt weak and like he couldn't protect the person he loved most in this world." Jackie reminded her. That wasn't exactly something easy to get over.

Kelly looked sad, "Yeah, I guess so..."

* * *

_"Kelly do you want to be a statistic? Do you want to be a victim? The writing is spray painted on the wall, you've got about as much chance of taking a bullet as being in a car accident. I worry about you Kelly."_

After Kelly refused to shoot the gun in the range, Dylan started to get angsty and frustrated. All he wanted to do was protect her, but he didn't realise that he was scaring her in the process. Even Steve and Brandon were concerned about his actions and it wasn't until Dylan almost accidentally shot Brandon that he finally came to his senses. Having a gun wasn't going to help anything. It only had the potential to make things worse.

"Hey red." Dylan greeted Kelly when they got to the front door of the Walsh house that weekend. Jim and Cindy were celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary and they were all invited to a big party at their house.

"Hey" Kelly greeted happily.

"Why do you always look so good?" Dylan asked as he looked her up and down.

Kelly giggled, "To torture you."

"Consider me tortured..." he said as he kissed her quickly. "Sorry I couldn't pick you up, I had to collect my present for the Walshes."

"Oh don't worry, I somehow managed to make it here in one piece without you." she teased as Dylan faked offence. "So, what did you get them?"

"Candlesticks."

"Oh really? No pro-handled revolvers?" she joked.

Dylan sighed, "No more guns Kel."

Kelly looked surprised, "Really?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry I scared you, I was being stupid."

Kelly shook her head, "You just wanted to protect yourself after a pretty traumatic situation. I understand."

"I wanted to protect _you_." he said quietly.

"You don't need a gun to do that." Kelly encouraged.

"I know. Somehow I think guns would just make everything worse. Being armed and dangerous is not going to solve my problems."

"No, it won't." Kelly confirmed. "Come on" she said as she grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.

Kelly smiled at the portrait of Jim and Cindy on their wedding day that greeted them in the hallway.

"Ah, this must be the present that Brandon and Brenda got their parents." Kelly said as Dylan looked at it.

"Yeah, I know all about it..." Dylan mumbled. It was this present that almost got Brandon shot.

"Look how cute they are..." Kelly said in awe.

"They haven't changed much in 20 years."

"I wonder where we'll be in 20 years" Kelly pondered as they set their gifts on the table.

Dylan snaked his hand around her waist, "I could see us sailing around the Mediterranean, drinking coconut mojitos and making love on the beach every day..." he said as he kissed her neck.

Kelly giggled, "That sounds more like a 40 year plan."

"I'm going to take that as a yes, Dylan, I accept that as our retirement plan." he responded with a smirk.

"We need to come up with a 20 year plan then."

Dylan shrugged and smirked, "I don't know. I would see us here in Beverly Hills, white picket fence, 2.2 kids, a dog in the basket in the corner."

Kelly smirked, "2.2 kids huh?"

"Kel, you know I would repopulate the earth with you if you asked" Dylan joked as they both started laughing, just as David and Donna walked in with Erin in tow.

"Hey guys" David greeted as they turned around and Kelly frowned.

"Hi, what's Erin doing here?"

"Erin's here?" they heard Jackie say behind them as they turned around.

David shifted awkwardly, "Mel had some babysitter problems." he explained.

Jackie scoffed, "of _course_ he did."

Dylan awkwardly cleared his throat, figuring that Erin didn't need to be here for one of Jackie's blow ups. "Why don't Erin and I go get something to eat?" he suggested as he made faces at the little girl who reached her arms out for Dylan.

"Yeah!" she said happily as Dylan laughed and took her.

"You look so pretty in your dress Miss Erin" Dylan said as he tickled her lightly, causing her to giggle.

Kelly and Donna watched as Dylan took Erin over to the food.

"Who knew Dylan would be so good with kids?" Donna asked. Kelly simply smiled softly. She'd always known he was good with kids. Ever since Erin was born they took a real shining to each other.

"I can't believe Mel did this." Jackie moaned.

Kelly sighed, "Mom, let's not make a big deal and just enjoy the night, ok?"

* * *

A little while later, Kelly made her way outside and smiled when she saw Erin standing on Dylan's feet while they played around on the dance floor. It warmed her heart seeing him be so loving with her little sister.

"Well, it looks like I have some competition..." she teased as she walked over to them.

"She's won me over, what can I say?" Dylan replied as Kelly laughed.

Jackie came over and smiled at the pair, "Come on Erin, let's leave Kelly and Dylan alone for a while." Jackie lifted Erin into her arms and walked away while Dylan turned around to look at Kelly.

"So... you want to dance? It's not a one-time offer, it can wait." he said, repeating his famous line with her.

Kelly smiled and was about to say yes, just as she saw Brenda's new boyfriend Stuart walk up on stage.

"I think it might have to wait." Kelly said as she nodded to the stage.

They listened as Stuart gave his toast and when he finished, they moved to dance, but Brenda and Brandon's grandmother got on stage to make her own toast—but what she said blindsided everyone.

_"I have the honour of announcing the engagement of my granddaughter Brenda to Mr Stuart Carson!"_

Everyone's mouths fell open as the gang all looked at each other in complete bewilderment.

"What's going on?" Dylan questioned as he looked at Kelly.

Kelly held up her hands, "Don't look at me, I had no idea they were that serious."

Kelly looked at Donna and Andrea and ushered them over so they could find out what was going on with Brenda. They couldn't believe it when she showed them the giant diamond ring that graced her finger. It was completely _outrageous_. She seemed happy but the whole thing just had the strangest feel to it and no one could put their finger on why.

* * *

In the aftermath of Mel leaving Erin with David so he could go out with his girlfriend, Jackie decided that she would file for full custody of Erin, leaving a huge divide between Kelly and David. They had no idea what to do and they really didn't want it to get in the way of their relationship, but that was proving impossible.

"So, your mom is really going for full custody?" Dylan asked Kelly as they walked through the quad the following Monday.

"Yep... I mean, I understand her reasonings, but I know what it's like to have an absentee father, surely this can't be good for Erin." Kelly said solemnly.

"Maybe the best place for Erin is wherever is most stable. Wouldn't she be miserable if Mel was never around and she was constantly expecting him?" Dylan pointed out. He also knew what it was like to be disappointed by a parent.

"Yeah I guess... I just hope my children never have to go through anything like this one day."

"My, my, you are feeling_ broody_ Miss Taylor, that is twice in the past couple of days you've brought up having children." Dylan teased as Kelly rolled her eyes.

"I don't mean to freak you out... for some reason children have been on my mind a lot lately." she confessed. She had no idea why, but she was even having dreams about having kids. It was the_ strangest_ thing.

"Consider me freaked..." he teased.

Kelly elbowed him in the stomach, "Dylan."

"I'm kidding. Listen, have you seen Brenda?"

"Yeah, we had breakfast this morning. What's up?" Kelly inquired.

"I just wanted to see where her head was at with all this marriage stuff." he told her casually.

"... right."

Dylan sighed, seeing that she was bothered, "Kel-"

"Dylan, it would be ok if you were a little jealous..." Kelly told him. They were together for two years after all, this was bound to be weird.

"Kelly, I can assure you I am _not_ jealous. I just think she's making a mistake by marrying this guy." he replied. Dylan knew Stuart from back in the day and he wasn't a guy he wanted anybody he cared about to be associated with.

"Maybe you should just let her be happy." Kelly suggested. Brenda wasn't an idiot. She had good judgement and maybe Stuart had changed since Dylan last saw him.

"Kelly, the guy is bad news." Dylan insisted.

"You can't choose who you fall in love with Dylan." Kelly reminded him. They were the perfect example of that.

She quickly kissed him before heading to class, hoping that Dylan would find it in himself to let this go.

* * *

In other news, while hanging out at the frat house, Steve started to see the _real_ John Sears. Not the persona he put on when he was around Kelly. He claimed to be crazy about her, he claimed he would do anything to win her over and be devoted to her and her alone, but Steve soon realised that wasn't true. He was willing to destroy Kelly's relationship for one night in his bed.

"I thought you were crazy about Kelly?" Steve asked when John came out of his room following his night with 'Beth'.

John scoffed, "I thought you were crazy about Celeste?" he shot back, knowing that Steve had been less than faithful when he went on a date with Laura.

Steve sighed. His failings weren't the problem right now. "Sears, it is one thing to pursue a single girl, but you're screwing with someone's relationship here. A really strong relationship. They're crazy about each other." Anybody could see it, John had to be an_ idiot_ to not see it.

John laughed, "Nobody is crazy about their boyfriend at 19. Otherwise she wouldn't be flirting back."

Steve knew for a fact that Kelly wasn't giving John the time of day, but he clearly couldn't admit that. "She's just being nice which is probably the last thing you deserve. Seriously John- no matter what you do, no matter what anybody does—Kelly Taylor and Dylan McKay will never love _anybody_ like they love each other." he warned, before lifting his jacket and leaving the house.

* * *

Hearing Steve's warning was like accepting a challenge to John, and he wasn't prepared to go down without a fight. He walked into the Peach Pit the following morning and smirked when he saw Dylan sitting at the counter.

"Still hanging out at the Peach Pit McKay?" John asked as he sat beside him, getting ready to mess with his head a little.

Dylan internally groaned. He really was in no mood to deal with this asshole today. "Appears so." he courtly replied.

"The old high school hang out. Hard to break old habits, huh?"

Dylan shrugged, "I just like the food."

"I guess you're one of those guys who can't handle change too well."

Dylan saw right through John's attempts to cause problems and was prepared to give as good as he was getting. "Maybe I just don't try to fix something that isn't broken."

"Or maybe you can't face what's already breaking up."

Dylan scoffed, "What are you _talking_ about?" It appeared that John really had no clue about his relationship with Kelly. It was a lot stronger than what any douche bag frat boy could throw at it.

"I'm talking about Kelly. By the look on your face I'm guessing she didn't tell you about our little chin wags." John said with a smirk, making their short conversations appear much worse than they were.

"I'm guessing the reason she didn't tell me is because they don't mean anything."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. Though- I have tried ridiculously hard to win her over and I feel like I'm almost there but... you must have some sort of hold over her."

"Yeah. It's called _love_ and why you think she would ever give that up for you is beyond me." Dylan shot back.

John's face looked like thunder as he stood up, "That's right McKay. It's beyond you." he said as he quickly left the pit. A few minutes later, Kelly walked in for their usual Thursday peach pie eating session. She happily greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked as she sat beside him.

"Kel, have you been seeing John Sears?" Dylan asked immediately, letting his jealousy get the better of him.

"What do you mean_ seeing?_ I see him on campus, I see him at parties-"

"He seems to be under the impression that something's going to happen between you two." Dylan explained.

Kelly sighed and rolled her eyes, "I can assure you I've told him to give it up _many_ times but he's pretty persistent."

"Yeah, I can tell..." he glowered as he pushed his food around his plate.

"Dylan. Nothing is going on." Kelly insisted again.

"I know." he told her with a nod. He knew Kelly would never do anything, he just hated that John was being so _slimy._

"Ok... I'm going to use the rest room." she said as she jumped off her chair and walked away just as Nat came over.

"I never liked that Sears kid. Anytime he came in here I knew trouble would follow him." Nat said with a scowl.

"Let me ask you something Nat. I've been with a lot of girls, why is it that the only two I ever loved are being _pursued_ by a dirtbag or are _marrying_ a dirtbag?" Dylan asked.

Nat scoffed just as the phone rang. He went over and answered it. "Hello? Sure." he said just as Kelly walked out. "Kelly, good timing, for you." he said as he handed her the phone.

"Thank you, Nat" she said happily. "Hello? Oh, hey Steve... she did _what?!_" she exclaimed down the line as Dylan's head shot up. "Yeah, ok, ok. I'll be there."

Kelly hung up the phone and turned to look at Dylan and Nat, her mouth agape.

"What's going on?" Dylan asked.

"You're not going to believe this."

"What?"

"Brenda has gone to Vegas to marry Stuart..._ tonight._"

* * *

The gang quickly made their way to Las Vegas to try and convince Brenda she was making a mistake. Their game plan was to pretend like everything was amazing, but subtly drop hints throughout the day that getting married might not be the best idea in the world. It had proved difficult as they made it all the way to the chapel and Brenda showed no signs of letting up.

While Brenda and Stuart filled out some forms, Dylan wrapped his arms around Kelly's shoulders from behind.

Kelly frowned, "You smell like a strip club."

"How do you know what strip clubs smell like?" Dylan challenged. He figured there was no point denying it, because that is exactly where they had taken Stuart.

"Wouldn't you like to know..." she teased.

"You know Kel, there's nothing stopping us from making this a double wedding..." he teased as he kissed her neck.

Kelly laughed, "Are you out of your mind?"

"Oh come on, it'll be fun..."

Kelly released herself from his arms and looked at him, "If that was your idea of a proposal, then it_ sucked_." she said as she patted his cheek and walked over to Donna and David.

"You're right, I'm going to work on that..."

A short while later, Brenda and Stuart were about to take the plunge when Cindy and Jim burst through the doors to stop the whole thing. That was the final push Brenda needed to realise she didn't want to get married right now and she _certainly_ didn't want to get married in a chapel in Las Vegas. She and Stuart agreed to hold off and slow things down a little bit. They had only known each other for a few months after all.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, thankful they were able to pull their little plan off and be there for their friend.


	24. Temporary Insanity

_I'm so glad you've all enjoyed my twist on the John Sears story line. I really wasn't the biggest fan of how it was done if you couldn't already tell..._

_Time to wrap that part up now. Word of warning- __the Santa Anas are blowing and __t__hings get a little steamy in this chapter... enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Four- Temporary Insanity

A few days later, Kelly was walking through the quad of CU when she felt somebody pull her arm backwards. She turned around and rolled her eyes when she saw a smirking John was the culprit.

"Hi Kelly" he greeted.

"Bye John" she replied as she tried to walk away but John ran in front of her.

"Someone's in a _snarly_ mood today."

"I'm just getting a little bit sick of saying no to someone who just won't listen."

"So you're never going to give in to me?"

_"No."_ Kelly repeated for what felt like the 100th time.

"I don't get it." John said as he finally started to lose his cool. "Have you been talking to Sanders?"

Kelly scowled, "There is no big conspiracy about why I don't want to sleep with you Sears. What does Steve have to do with this anyway?" She figured Steve just knew what everyone else knew—John was a slimy scumbag.

"If it's not Steve then it's something." Why the hell wouldn't she want to sleep with him? He was a catch!

"How about the fact that I have a boyfriend whom I love very much?"

"I'm a senior, I'm in keg house, I have girls lined up in the hallway taking numbers and you make me feel like I've got the plague!"

Was he seriously trying to make _her_ out to be the problem here? _He_ was the one constantly pestering her. "Even if I didn't have Dylan, I wouldn't just sleep with you for the hell of it John. I _do_ have a significant amount of self respect. "

"Geez, what is with the Snow-White act? I know what you're about Kelly. I remember _everything_. You think I've been pursuing you for your brilliant freshman repartee?" he snapped. He knew what she was like in high school, he had heard the stories. Was she really trying to convince him that that had all changed?

Kelly scoffed and shook her head, "You haven't changed a bit. I thought we could _maybe_ be friends one day but you _clearly_ don't know the first thing about what it means to care for somebody and quite honestly, I'm not interested in spending any time with somebody like that." she exclaimed before pushing past him and storming away, leaving him fuming behind her.

* * *

After her last class, Kelly made her way round to Dylan's house and immediately told him what happened with John. To say Dylan was mad would be an understatement. How _dare_ he speak to her like that. He immediately lifted his coat to storm out the door and deal with this guy but Kelly quickly stopped him.

"Dylan, I didn't tell you this so you'd go over there and punch him out." she made clear.

"Somebody's got to." Dylan immediately responded. He was fairly certainly that Kelly wasn't the only person he'd screwed with.

"Not you."

Dylan thought about it for a second before he threw his coat back down. _"Fine."_ It probably wasn't the wisest idea for him to be getting into fights on campus. "As long as you're ok... you _are_ ok." he said as they sat on the couch.

"It's not like it was _you_ saying all that stuff to me." Kelly reminded him. John meant nothing to her so she certainly wasn't going to lose any sleep over this. "You know, if this was three years ago, I probably would have slept with him anyway. Even after he said all that stuff." she confessed quietly. A lot had changed over the past few years. A lot had changed in her.

"Well, I'm glad it's not three years ago."

Kelly sighed, "If I have gotten more inner strength and confidence in myself and what I deserve, it's probably because you're the first guy to ever take me seriously."

"Kel-" Dylan began to protest. She was her own person, she was strong and she was bold and she got to where she is today because of _her_ belief in herself, not him.

"No, I mean it." she said as she sat forward. "I don't know where I would be without you McKay."

"Well I certainly don't know where I would be without you either Taylor. Probably drowning in booze in Baja." Dylan replied. Maybe they had done more for each other than they first realised. They certainly valued having each other in their corner, but the impact they had on each other was something they never fully appreciated. "Are you sure you don't want me to whack him? Cause I will." Dylan asked again.

Kelly chuckled lightly, "No. No macho guy stuff..."

"Ok, I guess I'll just have to be a tender guy tonight..." he said as he leant over and kissed her as she giggled.

* * *

The following day, Dylan was frustrated. He was trying to hard not to let Sears bother him, but whenever he saw him with that stupid smirk on his face he just wanted to punch it right off. He _hated_ guys like that. He hated guys who got away with treating girls like crap.

Dylan's frustration extended into his poetry class as they read a poem about love and desire. Brenda claimed it was like date-rape, Dylan disagreed.

_"The girl in the poem, she obviously knows how difficult it is to open your heart to another human being. That's why she's skiddish. How do you know your girlfriend who says she loves you Isn't going to change her mind one day and start running around with a geek from the keg house?"_

_"I think you're maybe reading too much into the poem Mr McKay..."_

Dylan realised that his frustration was about more than John Sears being an asshole. It was about _fear._ It about the fear of losing Kelly. Of losing her to someone who was better for her. Of losing her to _anyone._ He wasn't sure his heart could handle it.

"Dylan, you do know Kelly didn't do anything with John Sears, right?" Brenda asked Dylan after class, figuring that he was talking about a little more than poetry in class.

Dylan sighed, "I know and I played it off like it was no big deal and he was going after her but—it freaked me out Bren. I know Kelly loves me, but the thought of losing her—I don't know if I could handle it."

"You're not going to lose her Dylan." Brenda encouraged. She couldn't quite believe she was encouraging him but here she was. "John can try all he wants but he's never going to win her heart."

"I don't think it's his heart he wants." Dylan growled.

"Well then, I know you're doubly safe."

* * *

That night at the rally against sexual assault on campus, Kelly had spoken on Steve's behalf after Laura had accused him of date rape. She had won people over with her words and Brandon was congratulating her, just as John walked over and pushed him out of the way.

"I didn't know you were such a powerful public speaker." he said.

Kelly raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, "Add that to the long list of things you don't know about me."

"Come on Kelly, give peace a chance." he insisted.

Kelly glared, "maybe in another life time."

"I'm reaching out to you here Kelly-"

_Smack._

Dylan shoved a pie right in John's face.

"Want some?" he taunted.

John seethed with anger. "You're a dead man."

He launched at Dylan but a group of guys held him back.

"I will hunt you down!"

"Right here!" Dylan taunted further.

"Keep your back to the wall McKay, you're _dead!_" he screamed as he was dragged away by some keg guys.

Kelly rushed over to Dylan and pulled his arm, but he snatched it away from being so riled up.

"You are crazy, but thank you" she said with a laugh as she rested her hand on his cheek.

Dylan kissed her quickly and hard "you're welcome" he said before he playfully slapped her butt and walked away, hoping that was the last time they would have to deal with John Sears.

* * *

A few weeks later thanksgiving had rolled around and everyone was making their plans. Kelly happily walked through the CU quad and soon found Dylan sitting in the café drinking coffee and reading—his favourite past time.

"Hi" she greeted as she kissed his cheek from behind and then sat opposite him.

"Hi yourself. What's up?"

"Oh nothing, just thinking about thanksgiving. What are your plans?"

Dylan shrugged, "I don't know, the usual."

"Well do you want to do the usual with me?"

"I'm going to Baja Kel." he reminded her. He knew the last thing Kelly would want to do was surfing.

Kelly's mouth formed an 'o' shape. "Right, _that_ usual."

"What can I say? The surf is up, the south swells are rolling in, they're screaming my name." he said, wishing he was there already.

Kelly reached across the table and held onto his hand, "You could say that you'll stay in town and have a yummy thanksgiving dinner with me, Jackie and Erin?" she pleaded as she batted her eyelashes.

"Taylor you know I don't really like to do the whole turkey eating thing-"

"Yeah, I know, it makes you sleepy..." Kelly said, a little disappointed that Dylan wouldn't just come anyway.

"If I was going to eat a bird with someone, it would obviously be you..." he said as he leaned over the table and kissed her quickly.

"Ok, I'll let you away with it this time... I'll see you later." she said before kissing him again and walking away.

* * *

That Thursday, Kelly was _more_ than angry when the doorbell rang to Walsh house and Dylan appeared on the other side. To save Kelly and Erin from food poisoning from Jackie, Cindy invited them to her house along with David. Brenda had also invited Dylan last minute, who jumped at the chance to have some of Cindy Walsh's cooking. It had been a long time since he'd had a decent meal.

Kelly glared at Dylan as they stood awkwardly in the hallway with David.

"Looks like we shop in the same florist." David said, referring to the flowers they and Dylan had both brought in an attempt to break the tension.

"Yeah, you got good taste Silver."

"Actually, Kelly picked them out." David said, hoping this would be a reason for them to actually speak to one another.

"Well, we all know Kelly has good taste" he said with a wink.

Kelly clenched her jaw and crossed her arms. "Except in _boyfriends._" she replied. "How was Mexico? I don't hear any south swells calling your name from the Walsh's dining room."

Dylan didn't know what to say, but he didn't even have the chance to say anything. Kelly stormed past him into the dining room and sat down.

A short while later, they were all eating away, oblivious to the tension between the young couple.

"Cindy, everything is absolutely wonderful." Jackie complimented.

"Oh thank you. I'd be happy to give you the recipes." Cindy replied.

"No, just keep inviting me!" Jackie joked. She _really_ wasn't much of a cook.

"Gladly. Dylan, some more potatoes?" Cindy asked as she handed Dylan to bowl.

"Yeah, thanks." After putting some on his plates he turned to Kelly, "Potatoes Kel?"

"No thank you." she said courtly as everyone looked at each other awkwardly. _What was that all about? _Everyone wondered.

"I'll take some potatoes" Brenda said. Kelly glared straight at her. Of _course_ she would take more potatoes just like she would take more of_ Dylan_ if she had the chance.

They all sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few more minutes before Cindy cleared her throat and tried to break the ice. "It certainly is a lot colder this year than it was last."

Dylan looked at Kelly, "Yeah. It certainly is colder."

Kelly slammed her fork down, "You have got a _lot_ of nerve." she snapped.

"Would you excuse us?" Dylan asked the table.

"... of course" Jim said awkwardly as Dylan turned back to Kelly.

_"Kel._"

_"Fine_." Kelly said as she threw her napkin down and left the table with Dylan.

"Do you know what's going on?" Jackie asked down the table.

Brenda held up her hands, "Don't look at me." she knew things had been a little tense between them since college started and John Sears started screwing around with them, but she had no idea what brought this on.

"What exactly is your problem?" Dylan asked Kelly as they entered the living room.

Kelly folded her arms and stood tall, "I thought you were going to Baja? I thought turkey made you_ sleepy_?"

"I changed my mind."

"You don't want to have thanksgiving dinner with me but when Brenda asks you show up with bells on, is that it?" she exclaimed, letting her insecurities get the better of her.

Dylan groaned, "This is _not_ about the Brenda Dylan Kelly Bermuda Triangle and it hasn't been about that for a long time!" How the _hell_ could she think that it was?

"Well, at least I know where I stand on your list of priorities."

_"You_ are the one who has been letting that_ idiot_ get closer and closer to you!" he said, now taking his turn to let his insecurities get the better of him.

Kelly scoffed, "I didn't do _anything_ with John Sears, how many times do I have to tell you that?!"

"So you didn't sleep with him, big deal, but do you think that sex is all there is in a relationship?" he asked as Kelly fell quiet. They had always been pretty physical in their relationship. Whether it was just holding hands or hugging or sex—it was just a way they expressed their love for one another. But she knew that wasn't just it. That was _never_ just it with them, it was always so much more. "I love you so much that it _hurts_ Kelly. You say you feel the same, so how would you feel if I started giving a girl who was flirting with me the time of day?"

Kelly gulped as she felt herself getting emotional. Did he really think she gave Sears any attention? How could he think that?

"How would you feel if I went to dinner with my ex-boyfriend over coming to dinner with you?" she shot back. "You should have told me Dylan."

"Yeah, maybe I should have. But right now, I want to have thanksgiving dinner with my friends and I like Cindy Walsh's turkey better than I like Jackie's and obviously you feel the same way, otherwise you wouldn't be here. So, can we just eat now?"

Kelly merely looked to the floor to try and stop her tears while Dylan walked past her and back into the dining room, feeling just as sad himself.

* * *

A few days later, Kelly made her way to the Peach Pit to meet Brenda, Donna and Andrea for their weekly sorority meeting. She hadn't said a word to Dylan or Brenda since Thanksgiving and she was pretty nervous about today. She was pretty nervous about her whole _relationship._ Things had just exploded between them and she wasn't sure how to fix it.

"Brenda, I wanted to apologise." Was the first thing Kelly said when she sat down. "What happened at your house the other night was between me and Dylan, it wasn't your fault, I'm sorry."

"It's ok." Brenda insisted. After hearing their fight, she figured it was about much more than a stupid dinner and she knew how scared Dylan was at the thought of losing Kelly. It appeared that she felt the exact same. "Have you talked to Dylan?"

Kelly shook her head, "No, it's been radio silence."

Donna frowned, "That's so unlike you guys." she hated seeing them fighting. It really did put everyone in a bad mood along with them.

"Yeah... things we've been burying just came to a head. I reckon we need a cooling off period, just to get our heads straight."

"Yeah, that's maybe not a bad idea." Andrea encouraged, though she could see how difficult this was for Kelly.

The three girls couldn't remember a time they had seen Kelly so _miserable._ They could only imagine what she would be like if she and Dylan actually broke up.

* * *

After an unexpected kiss in the quad from Dylan while she was wearing a shower cap, dressing gown and cold cream all over her face, Kelly had a little glimmer of hope that they would be ok—and they could be civil for now. They made small talk when they saw one another but both were still too stubborn to apologise and make amends. It wasn't until Donna's birthday a week later that things started to thaw.

The Santa Anas were blowing that night and for some reason they always filled Kelly with butterflies and they always made her think of Dylan. Ever since they were little, the first person to come into her mind when she felt them was him. She always thought it was the most bizarre thing in the world.

"Kelly are you going to be needing a ride home?" Brenda asked her as they stood in the car park with Brandon and Dylan.

"I'll take her, you guys go ahead." Dylan offered.

Brenda and Brandon looked between the two of them, "Are you sure it's ok to leave you two alone together?" Brandon asked.

"Think you can handle it?" Dylan asked.

Kelly smirked, "Oh, I'm fine."

"You've got nothing to worry about" Dylan confirmed to their friends, who figured in that moment that Dylan and Kelly would finally be making amends.

They said their good nights and the pair stood in the car park, letting the wind blow against them for a minute before Kelly turned to face him.

"I don't know what it is about the Santa Anas but I haven't been myself all day." she told him. All she had been able to think about was him. She couldn't concentrate in class, she couldn't do _anything_. He _consumed_ her. "Maybe it's not the Santa Anas, maybe it's just being here with you."

"You know in the Middle East they have these winds called to Siroccos. They blow across the Northern desert of Africa and while these winds are blowing, if you kill somebody, they won't even try to punish you." he told her.

"Sort of like... temporary insanity." Kelly concluded as she took a step towards him.

Dylan nodded, "sort of like the heat of passion." he added as he closed the gap between their bodies and ran his hand through her hair, "like a full moon, our bodies are full of so much water that gravity starts pulling on us in ways we don't even realise."

Dylan bent down and kissed her neck as Kelly closed her eyes and gave in to him.

"Like a tide rising..." he said quietly before lifting his head and kissing her like it was the first time.

* * *

As soon as Dylan and Kelly arrived back at Dylan's house, they wasted no time. Dylan closed the door and Kelly walked towards him until his back was against it. Dylan delicately moved Kelly's hair out of her face and she leaned into his touch. Touching her was hypnotic and addictive. He didn't know if he would ever get enough. With a momentary pause as their noses brushed against each other's, Kelly rested her hands on either side of Dylan's neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

His arms slowly snaked their way around her body as their bodies pressed fully against each other's. Their kiss became steadily more heated yet just as romantic and smooth. Her hands moved from his neck and ran through his hair which his hands slid down her body and under her dress to rest on her behind.

They pulled away momentarily from the kiss, but their bodies remained tightly against each other's and their foreheads rested gently together. The need and desire was evident on their faces.

"I love you" Dylan whispered. There was no one else there, but he still whispered it like he only wanted her to hear.

Kelly smiled as she lightly kissed the corner of his mouth, "show me how much" she teased and the words were his undoing.

His mouth lowered back onto hers and she welcomed it as his tongue swirled against hers. He moved his hands down a little further to her thighs before lifting her up. Kelly responded instantly and wrapped her legs securely around his waist as he carried her to his bedroom. They had done it in pretty much every area of the house, but tonight, he wanted to take his time, he wanted to make it romantic and not just about sex.

When they entered the bedroom, Dylan kicked the door closed with his foot and set her down, walking her backwards so she was leaning against it. Kelly made quick work of the buttons on Dylan's shirt and slid it off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. Her lips pressed against the newly exposed skin at the base of his neck, marking it gently.

Her hands moved from the back of his neck and down to his pants, her fingers fumbling with the button. Once his pants were gone, he turned her around and kissed down her shoulders and he pushed her dress down her body so they were both in their underwear. Dylan turned her around again and lowered her onto the bed, positioning himself expertly between her legs as her hands wandered his back and his lips explored her neck.

They spent the rest of the night loving every inch of one another like they never had before. It was the most real thing they had ever felt. It was even more special than their first time together. While neither could put their finger one why—they didn't care. They hoped they could always feel this way about one another for the rest of their lives.

* * *

The following morning, Dylan and Kelly were eating strawberries and cream in bed while stealing kisses from each other when they could.

"I just had a great idea." Dylan announced as he lay back.

Kelly giggled, "Oh really? So did I..." she said as she straddled him and her hand disappeared beneath the sheets.

"That is if you're up for it." he said.

"Well you are certainly up for it..." she teased as he laughed and pulled her head down to kiss her.

"I like your idea, but first,_ my_ idea... we get out of this bed, we cook some breakfast, pack up the car and drive to Joshua Tree."

"Joshua Tree?"

"Yeah, it'll be great..." he said as he kissed down her neck. "It's in the desert, no one will be there, the winds will be really strong. We can build a fire stay all night..."

"Oh, that sounds so tempting..." she said as she started to lose herself in him. "I don't know if I can, I'm supposed to help out at the car wash today..."

Dylan rolled them offer so he was on top of Kelly and kissed her passionately, trying to distract her so she would say yes to his plan.

"I'm sure it's for a good cause Kel, but going to Joshua Tree is also for a good cause..." he said as he kissed down her body and Kelly continued to lose control, holding tightly to his hair.

"Your sexual desires are not considered a good cause in this scenario..."

"Oh, they're always a good cause." he said with a deep chuckle. "I uh—I am sorry about thanksgiving." he said out of the blue, moving back up so he was looking directly at her. He realised in that moment he hadn't apologised for it and he wanted to get the elephant out of the room.

"I know, so am I." she said as she rested her hand on his cheek. "It was pretty stupid."

"The only good thing about fighting with you is the make-up sex..." he said as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

_"Dylan!"_ Kelly scolded.

"Or maybe it's just sex with you in general... it's like I've never felt more alive" he confessed as their noses brushed.

"Last night was pretty special." Kelly confirmed.

_"You're_ pretty special." he replied before kissing her again. "I love you. Very much."

"I love you too... and I'm sure they wouldn't miss me too much at the car wash..."

Dylan smiled, "That is what I like to hear Taylor. Now, I need a shower... want to preserve water?"

Kelly smirked, "You read my mind" she replied as he swiftly pulled her up and carried her into the bathroom.


	25. A Little Soul

Chapter Twenty-Five- A Little Soul

Kelly felt completely and utterly _miserable_. She had woken up a few days ago and the first thing she did was puke her guts out. The _last_ thing she needed was to be ill right now. Life was chaotic with college and whatever else the universe decided it needed to throw her way. First it was this custody fight, second it was Dylan's long-lost sister Erica showing up in town with her mother Susanne. Kelly felt a little strange about the whole thing. They seemed like nice people, Erica was just a little girl after all, but she couldn't help but feel suspicious that they popped up in his life now that he was a fully-fledged millionaire. But, Dylan seemed to trust them, and that was all she could go on.

It seemed this stomach bug Kelly was sporting wasn't going anywhere any time soon. She had spent the night at Dylan's and was up being sick pretty much the whole night. After holding her hair back and rubbing her back all night while she leaned over the toilet bowl, Dylan made her promise to go to the doctor. She made an appointment before she left that morning, but instead of going to class beforehand, Kelly went home, put her dressing gown on, grabbed her teddy bear Winston and curled up on the sofa.

"Kelly, there you are, where have you been?" Donna asked as she came into the living room with snow boots and a furry coat on.

"I stayed at Dylan's." Kelly grumbled.

"I can't believe you'd leave me alone with David so you could do and have sex all night." Donna said in disbelief. David was another problem Kelly had to add to her list. He broke up with Donna on her _birthday_ and had been acting weird ever since. He was moody and snappy and Kelly was getting sick of it.

"Oh, believe me, there was no sex last night... I started puking my guts out and did so until the early hours of this morning." Kelly explained.

Donna frowned, "you should really go to a doctor." Kelly never got sick, so she was naturally concerned for her friend.

"Yeah, I have an appointment later. I should probably go back to bed..."

"No, come on you said you'd help me pack for this ski trip!"

Kelly sighed, "Donna, do you_ really_ need me for that?" she was an adult after all, surely she knew how to pack a suitcase.

"Yes, I do... but I probably don't." she conceded with a sigh. "I'll let you off this time but only because you're sick."

"Oh thanks..." Kelly said with an eye roll.

Donna sat on the coffee table with a large sigh, "I wish you were coming."

"Donna, I told you, when the temperature goes below 40, I hibernate, and at the rate I'm going, I'd be puking my way down the mountain anyway..." Kelly said as she sat up and shuffled into her room for a nap before her appointment.

* * *

Kelly sat in the doctor's office and explained to Dr. Robins that she couldn't shift this stomach bug she had. Dr. Robins told her that it was probably just a freshman flu, but she wanted to run some tests just to be sure. After taking some bloods, she was sent home and Dr. Robins called her the following day and asked her to come in to discuss her results. This put Kelly _really_ on edge. She knew then and there something was wrong with her. What was she going to do? How was she going to tell Dylan? How was he going to cope with this? How was her _mother_ going to cope with this?

All of these thoughts ran through her head until Dr. Robins came back into the room with her file.

"Kelly, sorry to keep you waiting." she apologised as she sat opposite her.

"Oh, it's ok... I'm just a little nervous, I thought this stomach bug would shift after a couple of days but it doesn't appear to be doing anywhere any time soon..." she rambled, hoping that Dr. Robin would just come out with it.

"Well, you are perfectly healthy... though there is something." she said as Kelly gulped.

"Oh god. It's something worse than a stomach bug isn't it? I'm really sick, just tell me..."

"It's not a bad thing Kelly, but—it is a nine month bug."

Kelly's face fell to the floor as she tried to comprehend what she was saying. "... excuse me?"

"Kelly, you're pregnant."

* * *

Kelly barely registered anything Dr. Robins said to her afterwards. She handed her a bunch of pamphlets that outlined her options but Kelly hadn't touched them. She hadn't fully absorbed what was going on. Pregnant? She was really_ pregnant_? This had to be a dream.

She sat in the Peach Pit with Donna, not listening to a word she said about David's recent behaviour. How could she listen to that when she had just received life changing news? Kelly saw the door open as Dylan and Brandon walked in, talking and laughing together. She continued to watch him as he placed his order with Nat and sat at the counter.

"I know people change but David is like a whole new person!" Donna exclaimed.

"Right..." Kelly mumbled, but she really had no idea what Donna was saying.

Donna noticed that she looked distant and followed her eye line and saw she was staring at Dylan.

"Why are you looking at Dylan like a lost puppy?" she asked.

"I am not..." Kelly grumbled in protest as she stirred her straw in her drink.

"Uh, are too. Did you guys have a fight?" she asked. Before Kelly could answer, Dylan turned around and smiled when he saw Kelly, giving her a small wave which she returned. "By the smile on his face, I'll take that as a no..."

"We're good." Kelly confirmed. But they potentially wouldn't be so good when she told him the news. How was she supposed to tell him this? How were they supposed to deal with this? What the _hell_ were they going to do?

Kelly felt the panic rise in her as she tried to take steady breaths to calm herself down.

"Kelly what is going on? You've been really down since you got home this afternoon."

"It's nothing Donna, don't worry about it..." Kelly lied through her teeth. There was _plenty_ to worry about. "I'm going to head home, I'll see you later."

Kelly made a quick dash out the door before anyone could stop her, leaving both Donna and Dylan a little confused.

* * *

Kelly rushed home and immediately sourced out one of Donna's yoga videos. She would do anything to calm herself down right about now and this was sort of working. It wasn't exactly an easy thing to take her mind off. She was 30 minutes into the video when Donna came in through the door and eyed her curiously. Kelly _hated_ yoga.

"What are you doing?" Donna asked as she set her keys down.

Kelly continued to take deep breaths, "Trying to calm my soul."

"I didn't realise it was in turmoil." Donna said as she sat down beside her.

Kelly gulped, "My whole _body_ is in turmoil."

"Kelly... what is going on?"

"I just haven't been feeling great, you know that." At least that wasn't a lie for once.

"Kelly, I know you better than that. Are you ok?"

Kelly finally opened her eyes and shook her head, "not really" she said as she looked at Donna with tears in her eyes.

Donna grabbed onto her hand, "Kel-"

"Donna, I—I'm pregnant." she said in a whisper as Donna's eyes widened in shock and surprise. She did not see that one coming.

"Oh my—are you sure?"

"Yeah the doctor ran some blood tests."

"Wow, I-" Donna said, really not knowing what to say. "What are you going to _do?_"

Kelly paused. Saying it out loud to someone had finally made it all feel more real. She felt a little calmer and for the first time she was able to digest how she truly felt about it all.

"I have _no_ idea." she replied honestly. "I just started college, I'm barely an adult myself. How am I supposed to look after a baby?" she asked.

Donna didn't really know what to say. She didn't want to put ideas in her head, or asking probing questions or give out unsolicited advice, so she just tried to be of some sort of comfort and find out the bare essentials of the situation.

"Does Dylan know?" she asked.

Kelly shook her head, "No. He doesn't know. I'm scared to tell him. I just don't know how he's going to react. He doesn't really do responsibility..."

"I don't know Kel, he's been really great with Erica recently." Donna reminded her. When Donna thought of Dylan as a dad, it didn't fill her with any sort of fear or dread for him or Kelly or their baby—she actually thought he would be really good at it.

Kelly nodded and smiled softly, "That's what makes me _want_ to do this. Seeing him being so good with Erica and Erin adores him too. I think he would be a wonderful father... I'm just not sure that now is the right time."

Donna squeezed her hand, "Whatever you decide to do you know you can count on me for support or money or whatever... but don't you think Dylan deserves to know what's going on?"

"Yeah. He does." Kelly replied quietly.

* * *

After spending a little more time with Donna, Kelly tried to call Dylan to ask him to come over, but when she did he told her that Nat had had a heart attack and he was at the hospital with him. The last thing he needed to hear right now was that his girlfriend was pregnant. So she waited until two days later when Dylan finally had some time to himself and asked her to come over.

"Hey smush" Kelly greeted as he opened the door to her.

"Back on that nickname again are we?" He asked with a raised eyebrow as he rested his hands on her waist.

Kelly smiled, "Yeah, I kind of like it."

Dylan kissed her quickly before she walked further into the house and he closed the door.

"How's Nat doing?" she asked as she stood by the side table. She didn't want to sit down in case things went horribly and she needed to make a quick escape.

"He was doing ok until his cousin started talking about selling the Peach Pit" Dylan said with a sigh.

Kelly's face fell, "Nat's selling the pit?"

"No, he doesn't want to. He's sick and he's scared and he knows that without someone to run the place, there's not really much point holding on to it." Dylan explained. The future of the Pit really wasn't looking good and it was heart breaking. That place meant so much to so many people.

"Sounds like the end of an era."

"We'll come up with something." Dylan insisted. He didn't want to let the Pit go without a fight. Dylan noticed that Kelly looked a little uneasy as she ran a hand through her hair. Truth was, she had been feeling nauseous the moment she set foot in his house.

"Hey, you ok?" He asked as he took a step towards her. "You look a little pale" he observed as he felt her forehead to see if she had a temperature.

"Yeah, I haven't been feeling great." she replied honestly.

_"Still?_ It's like the never-ending bug." Dylan replied as he poured her some water from the jug in the dining room.

"More uh—more like a nine-month bug." she said quietly.

Dylan frowned as he set the glass down beside her. "... that's specific."

Kelly remained silent, hoping that Dylan would pick up on what she meant, but he was either in total denial or it genuinely hadn't clicked with him yet.

"Kelly. You're freaking me out." Dylan said as he held her arms. "_What_ is going on?"

"Do you love me?" Kelly asked him with tears in her eyes.

"Yes, of course I do, don't you know that?"

"And you'll love me no matter what?"

"Yes, of course. Kel-"

_"I'm pregnant_." she blurted out as Dylan's mouth fell open slightly and his hands dropped from her arms.

They stood in complete silence. Dylan gulped as he tried to process what she said. Kelly tried to fight back her tears as she felt Dylan retreat from her.

"... should we get married?" Dylan finally said.

Kelly glared deeply. That was all he had to say right now?

"Should we get _married?_ That's the_ first_ thing you have to say?!" she exclaimed. "Are you _kidding_ me right now Dylan?"

"I- I don't know what to say! I wasn't exactly planning on hearing this today Kelly." he defended back.

"Well, anything would have been better than _that!_ And in answer to your dumb ass question, _no_, we should _not_ get married!"

Dylan ran his hands through his hair, "What do you want me to say Kelly?"

"I want you to tell me how you_ really_ feel, not how you _think_ you should feel!" she pleaded, but Dylan said nothing. He said nothing because he just didn't know what to say. He felt _numb._

Kelly held her hands up and let out a huge sigh. She wanted to be mad at him, she wanted to _scream_ at him, but at the same time, she couldn't blame him one bit.

"You know what, I'm going to go, give you some space to come up with your answer." she told him quietly before she stormed past him and out the door.

* * *

Dylan drove around LA for hours trying to process everything. He and Kelly had made a _baby_. It was unbelievable. He was completely and utterly _terrified_. How could they possibly be parents? They felt like kids themselves. Not to mention the fact they had pretty horrible examples of parents in their lives. He soon realised that he was being at least a _little_ bit ridiculous. Kelly Taylor would be an amazing mother, there was no doubt in his mind about that. But him, a _dad?_ His kid would probably be better off without him and his baggage.

As much as he tried to fight the idea of being a father, there was something in him that just wouldn't let him. There was something inside of him that told him this could be the _best_ thing to ever happen to him. That this was _exactly_ where he and Kelly were supposed to be. This baby could be their saving grace, their light in a dark tunnel.

Dylan swiftly drove to Paradise Cove, figuring that is exactly where he would find Kelly. Low and behold, she was sitting in the sand with her knees against her chest, just staring out at the ocean. He slowly walked over and watched her body tense when she realised he was there.

"How did you know I would be here?" she asked quietly as he sat beside her.

"We promised we'd always come here when we were feeling overwhelmed with life." he reminded her.

Kelly gulped, "I'm guessing that's how you're feeling right about now?"

"A little... I don't want to fight about this Kelly." he told her honestly.

"Why not? We fight about pretty much everything else in our lives these days." she reminded him.

"I don't want to fight about this because—because this is our _kid_ we're talking about. This is our baby, half you, half me. That's not something to fight over that's- that's something to smile over." he confessed as Kelly's head shot up in confusion. He wanted this? He _really_ wanted this?

"Really?"

Dylan nodded his head, "Really."

"Dylan, we just started college-" Kelly reminded him, wanting to make sure he had really thought this through before he jumped in.

"I don't care. A baby isn't going to stop that. Sure, life will be a little crazy but won't it be worth it?" he asked her. He truly thought this baby was a gift, not a burden.

"You- you really want this?" Kelly asked again, not expecting this to be his reaction, yet it filled her with an overwhelming sense of_ peace._ Like this was exactly what they were supposed to be doing. It was clear as day. This baby was meant to be.

Dylan chuckled, "Don't sound so surprised."

"You're notoriously non-committal to things Dylan."

"I committed to you."

Kelly raised an eyebrow, "I was the exception that proves the rule."

"Well, now the baby is the exception. I've made mistakes in the past Kel, but I believe with all my heart that this isn't one of them. All either of us have ever wanted is to feel a part of a family and this is our chance. It's our chance to make our _own_. This is a good thing, don't you feel that?" he questioned.

Kelly immediately nodded her head, "I do."

Dylan swiftly hugged her as Kelly finally let out a few tears she had been holding in.

"So, we're really going to do this?" Kelly asked as they pulled apart to look at each other, put still had a tight grip on the other. "We're really going to have a baby?"

"Hell yeah we are." Dylan said as Kelly let out a laugh.

"I meant what I said earlier about not getting married though. If I learnt anything from my mother it's that marriage is not something to be entered into lightly... and I want you to marry me for me and not because we're having a baby."

"I would only ever marry you for you... and i can't wait for that day." he told her as he pulled her into his chest and held her tightly.

* * *

_Because we all love a major plot twist... right? This is obviously going to have a huge impact on the rest of the story in a sweet, heartbreaking, dramatic, exciting, lovely way! _So stay tuned...


	26. The Day Our Worlds Began to Shift

_I'm so glad you're all excited about the twist! There's so much more to come and i can't wait to unpack it all._

Fo_r now, the news reaches the gang, Jackie and Iris, while Brenda and Brandon confront their feelings in some pretty bold ways... enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Six- The Day Our Worlds Began to Shift

A few weeks later, Kelly had frustratingly called Dylan one afternoon and told him that David hadn't stopped doing drugs like he promised. After he fell asleep and lost Erin at the park, she figured he would wise up and get some help, but it wasn't proving likely. She decided to move out of the apartment until David took some responsibility and Dylan was more than happy to have her stay with him.

"I'm sorry to put all of this on you." Kelly said as they sat down on his couch.

"It's ok, you can stay here for as long as you want." he said as he ran his hand down the back of her hair.

"You'll regret saying that when I'm puking in the toilet every half hour." she said with a groan.

Dylan gave her a sympathetic smile. "Morning sickness still kicking your ass?"

"More like all day every day sickness. The miracle of life is truly disgusting." she said with a little laugh. No matter what she did, she couldn't keep down anything she ate right now and it was driving her crazy.

"You won't be saying that when he have a happy and healthy baby in our arms" he said as he kissed her nose lightly.

"True... Dylan, do you think we're being too idealistic?" she asked quietly. A part of her felt like they had jumped into this without really thinking it all through. Were they really in any position to be good parents right now?

Dylan frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Did we really think this through? We've only just started college and looking after a baby is hard work, it's not like the movies." she reasoned. It's not that she didn't want her baby, she just worried that they weren't necessarily the best thing for him or her.

"Kel, we're more grown up than you think. Considering who we had for parents, we _have_ to be and we also learned exactly how _not_ to parent from them too, so..." Dylan said as Kelly smirked and rolled her eyes. "We love each other and we have a lot of love to give. It doesn't need to be anymore complicated than that."

Kelly nodded, "You're right... we still have to tell everyone. Most importantly—we still have to tell our _moms_."

"Yeah... that's going to be an interesting conversation." he said with a laugh.

* * *

The following day, after speaking with Jim Walsh and getting his approval, albeit reluctantly, Dylan told Nat that he was going to buy out his cousin's shares in the Pit and become joint owners. He had been thinking about doing it for the past few days, but it wasn't until he found out that he was going to be a father that he was sure. The Pit meant so much to a lot of people and he wanted it to be a place that his son or daughter could enjoy one day too.

After getting the go ahead from Nat too, Dylan then made his way up to the obstetrics ward in the hospital. Kelly had her 12 week scan today and they were finally going to get to see their baby on the monitor. It was all round a pretty exciting day, but they knew the excitement could come to a crashing halt—Kelly had called Jackie and told her she and Dylan needed to talk to her about something, and they really had no clue how she would react to their news.

"Babies always look a little freaky on this thing..." Dylan grumbled as he sat beside Kelly in the exam room as Dr. Robins moved the probe across her stomach.

Kelly smacked Dylan's arm, "_Dylan_, don't say that, that's our baby you're talking about."

Dr. Robins smiled, "Well, by the looks of things... it's babies. _Plural_."

Dylan and Kelly's mouths fell open, "Come again?" Kelly managed to spit out.

"Congratulations, you're having_ twins_!"

* * *

Kelly and Dylan remained silent for the rest of their appointment. Dr. Robin kept talking to them, and they just kept nodding their heads, not really taking any of it in. Dr. Robin could tell that they were in shock, so she made sure to write everything down for them so they could look back at it when they came to terms with the news.

They barely even remembered the drive home. It was also taken in silence. When they got into the house, they collapsed on the sofa and just stared into space.

"Brandon and Brenda are twins and they're great. _Wonderful_ even." Kelly eventually mumbled, as she tried to reason with herself.

Dylan grimaced, "They also had Jim and Cindy Walsh as parents..."

Kelly scoffed, "We could be the next Walshes if we wanted to." she said confidently, though she wasn't really sure she meant it.

"I don't know about that..."

"This is _really_ scary, Dylan." Kelly confessed quietly.

Dylan nodded his head, "Yeah. Just—just a little."

"What are we going to do?"

Dylan thought about it for a moment. Sure, two babies were a lot to take on, but that shouldn't change how they felt about this. Double the babies, double the love.

"We're going to do what we were always going to do. Raise these babies in a happy and loving home. Sure, it'll be harder, but we've got a whole village of people to help us out." Dylan said confidently.

"Yeah. They're going to be fine. _We're_ going to be fine."

"Yeah. We most certainly are."

_"... crap!_" Kelly shouted as she looked at her watch. "We were supposed to be at my mother's 20 minutes ago."

Dylan and Kelly rushed out the door to Jackie's, almost forgetting why they were going there in the first place. Kelly had no _clue_ how her mother would take this news. While she had mellowed out over the past few years, this wasn't exactly something to be mellow about.

* * *

"Are you sure I can't get you two anything?" Jackie asked as Kelly and Dylan sat awkwardly on the sofa while Erin played at their feet.

"No thanks mom, we're ok." Kelly said with a small smile.

"Ok, so, what do you two want to talk to me about?" Jackie asked as she sat opposite them.

"Well... we have something important to tell you" Kelly said as she rested her arm over Dylan's shoulder.

Jackie's face fell, "You're not getting married are you?"

Kelly and Dylan let out a little laugh, "No, no, we're not getting married..." Dylan clarified.

"But... we are going to have a baby... I mean, _babies_. Twins, we're having twins." Kelly said awkwardly, still not used to talking about being pregnant let alone about having twins.

Jackie sat back in her chair and merely stared at the two for a few seconds before saying, "... I know."

Kelly's eyes widened, "You _know?_ _How_ could you know?"

"I mean I didn't know that it was twins but... I had a feeling. You're not hiding that bump as well as you think Kelly." Jackie told her as Kelly's hand fell to her stomach. She didn't look very pregnant, but there was a definite bloat that in any normal circumstance, she could have put down to having a big lunch, but Jackie knew better. Call it a mother's intuition.

"Mom, I want you to know that we've really thought about this and we want these babies more than anything and we are very happy with our decision." Kelly said confidently.

Jackie sighed. She wasn't mad. What use would that be to anyone? She was just _worried_ for her daughter. "I'm not going to lie to you two, being a parent is an incredibly difficult thing. God knows I've made some mistakes. You are kids yourselves, you're going to have to grow up _fast_ and you have to be sure that you are ready for this huge responsibility." Jackie knew all too well about unplanned pregnancies, so who was she to judge? What she could do was give some reasonable advice.

Dylan nodded his head, "We know Jackie, we know how much responsibility we're going to have to take on but—we're ready. We're not always going to get it right. There are no ways to be a perfect parent, but there are a thousand ways to be a really good one." If this had happened with anybody else other than Kelly, Dylan figured he probably would have bolted, but this was different. Everything had always been different with her.

"Well... if this is what you want. Then I will support you." Jackie told them with a soft smile.

"Thank you mom. That means the world." Kelly told her sincerely.

"You have to take your blessings in life wherever you find them... and I truly think you two have found them right here with your babies."

* * *

After spending a little while longer with Jackie, Kelly and Dylan made their way round to The Peach Pit. Kelly had been craving a mega burger all day and she knew nothing else would satisfy her. When they walked in the door, they saw all of their friends sitting in the corner. They looked at each other as Dylan gave her a little nod, figuring now was as good a time as any to tell them their news.

"Hey guys" Kelly greeted as they walked over. Their friends responded with various choruses of hello.

"What can I get you two?" Nat asked as he walked over.

"A mega burger with extra fries please Nat." Kelly requested. "Oo, and a slice of peach pie and a chocolate milkshake with extra cream."

Dylan nodded, solidarity in his girlfriend's new eating habits was something he would happily go along with. "I'll have the same Nat."

"Damn, someone's hungry." Steve commented with a little laugh.

"Well, I sense my eating habits are only going to get worse..." Kelly said as they all eyed her curiously.

"What do you mean?" Brenda asked.

"Well... I'm pregnant." Kelly just blurted out as everyone's eyes widened and mouths fell open. All except Donna. Donna sat with a smile on her face. "With twins actually." Kelly added on at the end as everyone remained in a stunned silence.

"We know this is probably a huge shock..." Kelly added on as Dylan rubbed her back in support. "But we feel really good about this. We're excited."

"A baby is a very exciting thing. Congratulations." Brenda said first, surprising Dylan and Kelly.

Everyone elses' faces soon softened and they all said their congratulations and hugged their friends.

"Let me in there..." Steve grumbled as he walked forward and put his ear to Kelly's stomach. "There's not enough elbow room in there, those boys are kicking up a storm!"

Kelly laughed, "Stop it, it's just gas..."

"I think you two might just be the best parents ever." Steve added confidently. They had a lot of love to give, they were kind, they were mature and they were fun. To Steve, that was essentially all that mattered, no matter how old they were.

Dylan scoffed, "I'm sure you really believe that Sanders..."

"I believe it." Brandon piped in. "Seriously, I know you guys think you're not responsible enough but you've got a lot of love in your hearts, your babies are going to be just fine. Plus, you already know a great set of twins to model them on." he said proudly.

"Yeah, our boys will be just fine." he said as he put his arm around Kelly's shoulder.

Kelly raised an eyebrow. She had let Steve's comment about the babies being boys slide, but not this time.

"Boys? How about _girls_" she said with a proud smile as she handed her friends copy of their ultrasounds.

"I think they both look like girls." Donna confirmed.

Brenda shook her head, "Definitely boys. I'm not sure Dylan could handle girls." she said with a laugh.

"Hey, I would be the perfect father to little girls." Dylan defended. He wasn't so sure that was true, but he was prepared to confidently state it for now.

"One of each?" David suggested.

Steve grimaced, "I think they look like mega burgers."

Kelly swatted Steve in the stomach, "_Steve,_ you're disgusting."

Steve shrugged, "I could just be hungry... and hey, I can't believe you're now part owner of The Peach Pit" he said as he shook Dylan's hand.

"Well, for better or worse it's a done deal." Dylan said casually.

"It's definitely for the better." Donna confirmed, "It's the best place on earth."

"With the best customer's I might add." Steve boasted.

"Hey." Dylan said as he clicked his fingers at Steve, "Don't think just because you know the boss you'll be getting any special favours alright?"

"Right and if Kelly's pregnancy cravings dictate that she wants a mega burger at 3am you're not going to come down here and cook it for her?" Steve asked with a raised eyebrow.

Dylan smirked at Kelly, "Well Steve, this might come as a shock to you but when Kelly's with me, she doesn't crave anything..."

"... no comment." Kelly replied with a smirk as Dylan playfully bit his teeth together causing her to laugh

"Well, we may not have cigars, but..." Brandon said as he lifted out a box of bread sticks and everyone took one. "To mom and dad." he joked as everyone laughed and agreed in unison.

Dylan and Kelly knew in that moment that no matter what came next, no matter how overwhelmed they ended up feeling, they would always have the most wonderful group of people around them to support them in whatever they did.

* * *

A few days later, Brandon had called round to Dylan's looking for a favour. A guy from CU was looking to do a piece on him for his impending run for CU President and he was poking around asking questions about Brandon's love life. Considering Brandon was having an affair with Lucinda Nicholson, he needed something to throw him off the scent, which was when Lucinda suggested Brandon bring Kelly to the chancellor's brunch and on their weekend away. Brandon wasn't overly fussed on the idea. She was his best friend's girlfriend, it seemed a little weird. Not to mention she was pregnant, though she was still doing a good job at concealing it and the news hadn't leaked around campus yet.

"Brandon, people are going to start to catch on that I haven't just put on a little bit of puppy fat. Aren't you worried that rumours will start flying around about your impending fatherhood?" Kelly questioned with a raised eyebrow as she and Dylan sat by the fireplace.

Dylan put his arm around Kelly's shoulder, "Don't worry, I'll set the record straight if it comes to that. Those babies are mine and mine _alone_..." he said proudly as he kissed her cheek. Once they had that cleared up, Kelly agreed to go with Brandon, not knowing the real reason why he was asking her. She made sure to pack all the floatiest clothes she owned, but she wasn't convinced she'd be able to keep her pregnancy under wraps for much longer. She had her story straight though if anyone dared ask—she had a huge breakfast burrito that day and was now suffering the consequences.

* * *

The following morning, Dylan was rudely awoken by his door banging. Kelly had left to pick a few things up from the beach apartment before heading away with Brandon, so naturally he took the time to catch up on some sleep. He figured he wouldn't be getting a lot of it in the near future.

He groggily got up when he realised the banging wasn't going to stop. He flung the door open grumpily and was surprised by who he found on the other side.

"_Iris_" he began, completely stunned. He soon figured he shouldn't be that stunned- she did have a habit of showing up here unannounced after all.

"Dylan, I just had the strangest feeling that I had to come out here right away." she told him as she pushed her way into the house.

"Ok... what kind of feeling?"

"I had a feeling that there was something major going on in your life. Like you had just received life altering news."

Dylan scoffed. Maybe this psychic new age stuff wasn't so stupid after all.

"I guess you could say that." he said as yawned and scratched the back of his head. "You might want to sit down for it though."

Iris crossed her arms, "I'm fine standing."

Dylan held up his hands in defeat. On her own head be it, he figured. "Well, Kelly wasn't feeling great a while back so she went to the doctor and... she's pregnant."

"... oh."

"Yeah and to add to that, we're actually having twins." he said, a little too casually for Iris' liking.

"_... oh._" she repeated, trying to digest this news.

"Yeah..." Dylan said, not really knowing what else to say.

"Now... I wasn't expecting_ this_ to be your news." she replied honestly as she sat on the sofa. She didn't know what she_ was_ expecting, but it certainly wasn't this.

"You're being strangely calm right now, it's a little unnerving." he told her, fully expecting her to explode and give him a lecture on carelessness.

"I'm processing." she mumbled as they remained in silence for another few minutes, before Iris stood up and walked towards him. "You know—I think this might be the best thing to ever happen to you."

Dylan was completely taken aback. While he agreed wholeheartedly, he did not expect Iris to feel the same. "You're kidding... right?" he asked, figuring she was playing some sort of joke on him.

"No, Dylan, I'm not. I know you're young but this will give you some direction, a purpose, a real reason to live and be the best that you can be!" she said with great optimism in her voice.

"I want this. I do, it's just—it's all a little overwhelming." he told her honestly. "I don't want to let them down. I've already screwed up enough times, this can't be one of them."

"Dylan, you have to have a little faith in yourself." Iris encouraged as she rested her hands on Dylan's arms.

Dylan shook his head and sniggered, "I can't believe you're ok with all of this."

"I know your spirit Dylan. I know your heart and I know that this is a true blessing. Children are not something to be frowned upon. How does Kelly feel?"

"She's still pretty sick-"

"What about the pregnancy in general?"

Dylan shrugged, "I think she's ok... it's a lot to process I guess, especially considering she's the one having the babies after all."

"Yes... I'll call over and see her now." Iris said as she lifted her bag and walked towards the door. Before Dylan could protest about his mother ambushing her, she was gone in a flash. He rang Kelly to warn her that Iris was approaching, but not enough time in the _world_ could have prepared her for that. She knew Iris didn't particularly like her, so she could only imagine what she was going to say.

"I suppose Dylan gave you a warning call?" Iris asked as Kelly welcomed her in.

Kelly smiled, "Not a warning call, just a normal call. Can I get you something to drink?" she said, trying to be as polite as possible during this unexpected visit.

"I'm alright Kelly, I just wanted to come and talk to you." she said as they both sat down on the sofa.

"I guess Dylan told you, huh?"

"He did and may I say, you are positively _glowing_. Pregnancy really suits you." she said with a smile, much to Kelly's surprise.

Kelly let out a laugh, "Oh I don't know about that. I'm a little swollen..."

"You're _beautiful_." Iris insisted. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm ok. A little tired." she said vaguely. There wasn't really much else to tell in all honesty.

"I hope my son has been looking after you."

"Oh he has, don't worry." Dylan had been great through all of this, much to Kelly's surprise. She fully expected him to walk away and get overwhelmed but he was taking it all in his stride. It just spoke to how far he had come over the past few years.

"I'm sure this is all very scary for you dear, but I was telling Dylan earlier that I have a wonderful feeling about this." Iris said as she took Kelly's hands in hers.

"You do?" Kelly said, a little surprised.

"I do. I have a wonderful feeling that you are going to have two precious babies who will be kind and strong and loving and beautiful and smart and just _brilliant._ They will take this world by storm and part of it will be due to the fact that they had you two as parents."

"You really think we'll be good parents?" Kelly asked quietly. She would be lying if she said she didn't have some serious doubts.

"I _know_ you will be good parents. I think they are the reason the universe destined for you and Dylan to be together—because of your fiery passion for one another that could come together into two tiny humans."

"... destined to be..." Kelly mumbled. She wasn't sure if she believed in fate and destiny, but she was certain that there was no one else out there for her but Dylan. She knew in her heart that he was her soulmate, and no one could ever make her feel the way he did.

Iris nodded her head, "_destined to be_. Those babies are going to be a bright light in your lives. Don't ever take that for granted."

Kelly was taken aback by Iris' kind words. She had half expected her to go off in one. Then again, she had expected her mother to do the same and she remained so very calm. Worried, but calm. Iris also made her feel calm about the whole thing. Every day she felt more and more sure about their decision to have these babies. She just knew it was the right thing for them, no matter how difficult it was going to be.

* * *

While Kelly took off with Brandon for the weekend, Dylan sat around at home, twiddling his thumbs. He'd spent some time with Erica, but apart from that, he really didn't know what to do with himself. He'd been so consumed with his impending fatherhood and now that things were beginning to settle down, he'd started to feel a little drained. The whole thing was overwhelming and now he was struggling to relax.

He was about to head out to the Pit for some dinner when the phone rang and Brenda's voice appeared on the other line. She was looking for Kelly to come and pick her up and she sounded pretty stressed. Since he wasn't really doing anything and Kelly wasn't here, he offered to go—not knowing that he was agreeing to give her a lift from Palm Springs.

"Thanks for coming to my rescue." Brenda thanked as they drove home.

"If I can't do it, who can?" Dylan joked.

Brenda scoffed and looked down into her lap, "Good question."

"Don't suppose you want to talk about it?" Dylan asked. He knew things had obviously gone pretty wrong between her and Stuart and he didn't want to pry, but she could probably use a friend right about now.

"It was supposed to be a romantic weekend with Stuart. I ended up seeing a side of him I've never seen before. Do you remember when we went to Baja and I made that little mistake?"

Dylan chuckled, "Little mistake? Bren, you lost your passport, we were stuck at the border for three hours..."

"Yet no matter what happened, you were so understanding. We were able to put it behind us and even laugh about it. We ended up having a great time." Brenda told him.

Dylan wasn't so sure he remembered it that way. Sure, they had a nice enough time while they were down there, but when they got back Brenda almost ruined her friendship with Kelly and_ his_ relationship with Jim and Cindy. He wasn't about to bring that up, however. Instead he just smiled and laughed lightly.

"Stuart can't do that. I made a mistake and he just couldn't let it go. It got pretty ugly... it's definitely over between us. Why is it that I can't hold onto a relationship ever since I broke up with you?" she spontaneously asked as Dylan didn't really know what to say.

"I uh—I guess you just have to find the right guy."

"I had the right guy and then I lost him. I've never really gotten over you Dylan. How can I fall in love with someone else when I'm still in love with you?"

Now Dylan _really_ didn't know what to say. It took him a while to put his relationship with Brenda in his past, he wasn't afraid to admit that, but it _was_ in his past and that's where it was going to stay.

"Bren-"

"I know, I know-" she began, knowing that it wasn't fair for her to say such things.

"It's not that I don't love you-"

"You're just not _in_ love with me." she concluded with a scoff. "I'm not convinced you ever were."

"That's not true-"

"How could you ever love me when you fell madly in love with Kelly the moment you saw her?" Brenda challenged as Dylan remained quiet. She had a point after all. "And now you're starting a family together. Seems like to was written in the stars. Everyone else was just a bump in the road."

Dylan didn't like to think about his journey with Kelly in that way. Everyone in his life was there for a reason. He valued his relationship with Brenda more than he could express. As he went to try, Brenda shook her head.

"Maybe I'm not just feeling sorry for myself over Stuart. I am glad we're friends." she clarified.

Dylan nodded, "Me too."

"So... how are you feeling about becoming a dad?" she asked._ One awkward conversation to another,_ she thought. Dylan and Kelly were pleasantly surprised with how supportive Brenda was being over the whole thing. They kind of expected her to turn a blind eye, but the more they thought about it, the more they realised it was totally in character for Brenda to be as supportive as she could in a situation like this, even when it wasn't at all necessary.

"Pretty nervous." he told her honestly. "I know I've got some time to figure it all out but part of me wonders if I'll ever really be ready."

"I think you'll be a great dad. There is no such thing as a perfect parent, but there are plenty of ways to be a really, really good one. You have a lot of love in your heart Dylan. You're kind, you're patient. You also give some of the best hugs in the world" she teased as Dylan smirked. "What more could they ask for?"

Dylan nodded his head gratefully as he felt a little emotional at Brenda's words. All he wanted was for his children to have two parents who loved them unconditionally and that they could always rely on. He knew he had pretty terrible examples in his life, but if anything, they taught him what not to do to and despite them, he was all the things Brenda thought him to be.

* * *

Earlier that evening, Kelly and Brandon had been getting ready to come home from their weekend away. It had been fun. They had eaten, danced, met some nice people, but Kelly was eager to get home to Dylan. She didn't expect to miss him as much as she did, but she really did enjoy spending time with Brandon.

"So, how did I do?" Kelly asked Brandon as they walked back to the car, wondering if her performance was convincing enough for everyone.

Brandon smiled, "You were very convincing."

"Well you're an easy guy to pretend to be dating" she replied.

"Right back at you Kel..." he said softly as he stared at her for a moment, watching as she looked up at the stars with a soft smile on her face and a spring in her step. "You know... I always wondered..." he found himself saying as Kelly looked at him.

"Wondered what?"

"What would be if I hadn't turned you down at the spring dance." he said.

Kelly quirked an eyebrow. She'd almost forgotten about that. She was so desperate to have a relationship like Dylan and Brenda's that she practically_ threw_ herself at Brandon.

"You mean the same dance where you told me that if I was a perfect stranger you would probably be in love with me? And that I was like your _sister_?" she questioned teasingly as Brandon grimaced.

"Yeah..." he said awkwardly as Kelly giggled to show him that she was over his brutal blow. "Though, in all honesty, the perfect stranger thing was just an excuse..." he said as Kelly felt her smile fall, wondering where this was going. Was this his was of saying he had feelings for her? "But, you're in love with my best friend."

Kelly smiled. Whenever she thought about Dylan it was often involuntary. "Yeah. I am" she said proudly, but quietly.

"And you always have been."

Kelly chuckled, "Probably"

"So something tells me that no matter what we could have been, you two would have found your way together." he finished.

Kelly nodded, almost sadly. Not at the thought of missing out on being with Brandon, but because_ he_ looked sad. "Probably..." she said again but a lot quieter.

They stared at each other for the briefest of moments before Brandon suddenly leaned in and kissed her. Kelly backed away as soon as it happened. She was completely stunned that this was happening. She wondered how long Brandon had felt this way. She wondered was that why he brought her here.

"Kelly, I-" Brandon said, looking for the words to apologise, but not being able to find them.

"Let's just go home. We have to get back for David's party, remember?" Kelly said with as much of a smile as she could muster. Denial was always her forte and she figured that was how she would handle this particular situation.

* * *

After arriving at the apartment and seeing how good David was doing and that he seemed back on track with his life, Kelly decided that it was time she moved back in.

"Dylan will be glad to hear that" Brandon commented with a little laugh.

It wasn't that Dylan disliked living with Kelly. He loved having her around, but he really was a bit of a loner and missed having his own space sometimes.

"Well he's going to need to get used to the idea of having house guests for, I don't know—the next 18 years?" she reminded them as they laughed and Dylan and Brenda walked into the room.

"What are we laughing about?" Dylan asked as Kelly's face fell when she noticed them together. It seemed like while she spent the weekend with Brandon, Dylan felt he should spend the weekend with Brenda. She knew she had no right to be angry about that, especially after what happened between her and Brandon, but she couldn't help but feel a little twinge in her stomach at the sight of them.

Dylan leaned in to kiss Kelly but she moved her head and he got her cheek, frowning at her action.

"Nothing." Kelly grumbled.

"Aren't you supposed to be in Palm Springs with Stewey?" Brandon asked Brenda.

"Long story... thank goodness Dylan was nice enough to bring me home" Brenda said with a grateful smile.

"No problem" Dylan replied as Brenda walked off to get some food.

"So, did you have a good weekend?" Dylan asked. "I missed you" he said as he turned her twisted necklace around.

"Yeah, it was good..." Kelly mumbled. "So, is this why you were so anxious for me to move out?" she bit.

Dylan rolled his eyes. He knew Kelly's hormones had been playing havoc with her recently so he wasn't about to give this the time of day. "Yeah, _right_."

"Why don't you get some food I'm sure you're hungry from your _long ride_." Kelly said through her teeth as Dylan sighed and turned to Brandon.

"I'll tell you what Brandon, if you ever feel the need to borrow her again—feel free." he joked as he patted him on the shoulder and walked into the kitchen.

Kelly guiltily looked at Brandon briefly before turning away. She had no idea how or _if_ she could tell Dylan what happened. For a moment, Kelly felt the strangest feeling. She felt like Dylan was somehow slipping away from her. The feeling soon passed, but she couldn't deny that it was there. It seemed stupid to think so after everything that had gone through, but it was the truth and she really hoped that she wasn't right.

* * *

Late that night, Kelly couldn't sleep. She'd gotten so used to having Dylan beside her that her bed felt cold and empty. She got out of bed, wrapped herself up and got in her car and drove straight to his house. She wasn't surprised when she saw that his lights were still on. He was always a bit of a night owl.

"I thought I might be seeing you sometime this evening" he said as he answered the door.

"Why's that?" Kelly asked as she crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame.

Dylan took his arms out from behind his back and held up Kelly's teddy bear. "You left Winston here."

Kelly chuckled quietly, "So _that's_ why I couldn't sleep. I thought it was because I missed you..."

"No, no, definitely Winston..." he said as he held his hand out towards her and she took it, allowing him to pull her inside. "Kel, I'm sorry about earlier."

Kelly shook her head, "Me too, I shouldn't have gotten so bitchy. I trust you, I really do, I just felt a little jealous to see you two together I guess..."

"Brenda rang here looking for you to give her a ride and since you weren't here, I offered, that's all." he told her as Kelly nodded her head and absentmindedly ran her hand over her stomach. For the first time Dylan had really noticed her bump. Until now, she always just looked like she'd had a big lunch, but as she traced it with her hand, it was more than obvious she was pregnant. "How are you feeling?" Dylan asked.

"Good actually" Kelly said with a small smile. "I spoke to your mom yesterday before I left and she really put me at ease" she said, the surprise evident in her voice.

"Believe it or not, Iris actually made me feel pretty good too..." Dylan confirmed. Brenda had also made him feel pretty good about the whole thing, but he figured now wasn't the time to bring that one up.

Kelly smiled, "I'm glad. I really think we're going to be good at this Dylan. Sure, we won't always get it right but—our babies will never be lacking in love." she said quietly.

"No, they won't." Dylan confirmed. He wasn't confident about a lot of things, but he could say with certainty that the love they had for the would never, ever change.


	27. Motherly Instincts

_Things are pretty tense between Kelly and Dylan in this chapter... but we all like a bit of drama, right_?

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Seven- Motherly Instincts

A few weeks had passed since Kelly's weekend with Brandon and things had been progressing relatively smoothly. Kelly felt like she had popped over-night and at 18 weeks, she knew there wasn't any hiding it anymore. It wasn't that she was keen to keep it a secret, she just wasn't keen for all the whispering that would no doubt go on behind her back.

As she continued to deal with her struggling hormones and wild food cravings, Kelly was also trying to find a way to deal with Brandon kissing her. She hadn't told Dylan about it, but the whole thing was eating her up inside. It took Josh to reveal that he had seen the kiss between them for Kelly to realise she needed to clean about the whole thing before Dylan found out from someone else. She felt a little guilty throwing Brandon under the bus like this, but she didn't want Dylan to think that she was lying to him. She didn't want this to become a bigger deal than it was by the fact that she didn't tell him. They'd always been so open and honest with each other and she didn't want that to change now.

Dylan had been understandably hurt. He wasn't mad at Kelly, but he was hurt by his best friend. Brandon had been like a brother to him and now he was going behind his back like this? He'd managed to stay calm as Kelly told him, but when she left he had time to mull it over and he felt the anger boil inside of him. He stormed round to the Walsh house and confronted Brandon about the whole thing.

_"I lent you my girlfriend, my pregnant girlfriend I might add and you made a move on her!"_ He exclaimed as Steve walked on in shock. Dylan even went to punch Dylan—but accidentally got Steve instead.

The boys decided in that moment to put the past behind them and not dwell on it. Brandon was not going to try something like that again and it wasn't like Kelly reciprocated the kiss.

However, just as they managed to put Brandon behind them, the Brenda issue popped up again. In her 19th week, Kelly's hormones had hit the _rage_ stage. Everything and anything frustrated her. She had a short fuse and zero patience and everyone was treading very carefully around her—_especially_ Dylan. He realised there was no point in trying to reason with her when she started shouting at him for _breathing_ too loudly.

In regards to Brenda, she had _royally_ pissed Kelly off when she rang Dylan in the middle of the night to bail her out of jail. She wasn't particularly fond of the fact that Brenda was treating him like her knight in shining armour. She probably would have reacted even worse if she knew what Brenda had said to him in the car on the way home from Palm Springs.

After trying to get Brenda out of jail—and eventually having to call her parents—Kelly and Dylan arrived home exhausted. Kelly immediately changed into one of Dylan's shirts, finding her own clothes entirely uncomfortable right now, and collapsed onto the sofa. Dylan soon lay between her legs and rested his chin on her perturbing baby bump, mindlessly tracing circles across it.

"You know, every time they hear your voice they kick" Kelly told him with a little smile as she ran her fingers through the tips of his hair.

Dylan smiled at her, "I better enjoy that excitement while it lasts. I'm sure there will come a day when they'll run out the door when they hear my voice" he said as he felt their little feet kick against his chin.

"Oh, never..." Kelly said sarcastically as Dylan playfully rolled his eyes and sighed.

"I am so tired..."

"Well, you only have one person to thank for that." Kelly snapped.

"Don't start..."

"Ok. I won't." she said with a teasing smirk as she pulled Dylan up her body and kissed him. Another perk in Dylan's mind of this pregnancy was the fact that Kelly was easily aroused. It was as if she had never fancied him more than she did right now.

They continued to kiss as Dylan began to undo the buttons of Kelly's shirt. Kelly lowered her hand down to Dylan's waist band and smirked, "Suddenly you don't seem so sleepy..." she said with a raised eyebrow and a little laugh as he smirked against her neck before leaving a trail of kisses down it.

Before things could go much further there was a knock at the door and Kelly groaned.

_"Go away!_" Kelly shouted as Dylan continued to kiss her.

The knocking persisted and Dylan groaned this time, "Who is it?" he asked irritated.

"Brenda" they heard from behind the door as they both stopped and Dylan got up to answer the door.

Kelly flopped back, "_Great.._." she grumbled before standing up. "Donna says we shouldn't even be talking to her Dylan."

"Why not?"

"Jesse says that if Brenda tells us anything about what happened last night we could be subpoenaed."

Dylan cupped her cheeks, "That's typical lawyer talk and it's ridiculous" he said as he quickly kissed her before moving past her and opening the door.

"Hi" Brenda greeted sheepishly. "I'm sorry to barge in-"

"It's ok, come on in" Dylan said as he opened the door a little wider.

"I just wanted to say thank you to the both of you."

"We didn't really do much Bren, I'm just sorry we had to tell your parents" Dylan apologised.

Brenda shook her head, "No, I was being stupid. I don't know how I thought I could keep it a secret."

"Are you ok?" He asked softly, knowing that it was probably a pretty grim experience.

"I'm ok. Though one night in jail was enough to make me see I don't want to go back."

"Maybe you should have thought about that before." Kelly snapped.

"Kel..." Dylan said in a low and warning tone. He had a feeling that Kelly's hormonal rage was about to hit them at full force and it wasn't going to be a pleasant experience.

"I'm sorry but I don't know what you _expect_ from me."

"What about friendship?" Brenda suggested. She'd heard Kelly had been particularly on edge the past few weeks, but she didn't expect _this_. She never expected Kelly to look at her with such_ disdain._

"What about friendship? How far is that supposed to take us? Do you _really_ expect us to just jump in the jail cell with you and keep you company?" Kelly said with a deep glare.

Dylan sighed, "_What_ is your problem?" he asked, testing the waters.

Kelly stood up and put her hands on her hips, "You want to know what my problem is? I'm sick and tired of stepping aside every time Brenda comes running to you with another crisis. Every time you call, _he runs_, whether it's in Palm Springs or the middle of the night or in jail. Wherever it is—he _runs!_ He's not your boyfriend anymore!"

Brenda crossed her arms, "And clearly you're not my friend anymore either. Thanks again Dylan, bye." she said quickly before leaving.

Kelly sighed deeply and turned around. She began folding the clothes and blankets that were scattered all over the house as Dylan just watched her. The last thing he wanted to do was upset Kelly over his friendship with Brenda but he wasn't just about to abandon his friend when she needed his help.

_"What?"_ Kelly said through her teeth as Dylan stared.

"You just have lousy timing, that's all." he replied as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Lousy timing? I'm not sure there's ever really a good time to call your supposed best friend out for still being in love with your boyfriend." Kelly replied as Dylan remained silent and looked to his feet. Kelly stopped when she was doing and looked at him, "Isn't this the part where you tell me I'm being ridiculous and there's no way she's in love with you?"

Dylan remained silent, unsure what to say. His conversation with Brenda on the way home from Palm Springs was playing in his mind.

"What the _hell_ happened on that car ride from Palm Springs?" Kelly asked quietly, clearly seeing that he was holding something back.

"Brenda just told me how she felt, that's all."

"How she felt? _Perfect._" Kelly said as she went to lift her stuff.

"Kelly, can you not walk away from this, please?" he asked as he took her stuff out of her hands and set it back down.

"I honestly have _nothing_ to say about this. She told you that she was still in love with you and you didn't tell me!"

"Well you weren't exactly honest about Brandon, were you?" he challenged.

"I told you about Brandon!"

"Yeah, after a couple of weeks!"

"This is totally irrelevant right now, we're not talking about Brandon, we're talking about Brenda!"

"There's nothing to talk about, she told me she was struggling to move on from me, I made it clear that I was in love with you, she said she wasn't going to act on anything, that was that!" Dylan told her, their voices still raised.

"Dylan, I don't want to stop you two from being friends. I know that if you had have chosen her last year, I wouldn't have been ok with her trying to end _our_ friendship, but knowing that she still has feelings for you—don't you think it's a little unfair to be running to her beck and call and pushing me aside to do so?" she asked, finally lowering her tone and calming down.

"She just needed some help Kel"

"I know that." Kelly said with a nod "And you are the most reliable guy I know. You can't let the people you care about down and I admire that about you. _So_ much. But you're just fuelling Brenda's desires to be with you even more if she thinks of you as her knight in shining armour. It's just not fair to anybody." Dylan looked to his feet knowing that Kelly probably had a point. He wouldn't be particularly happy about her running to Brandon whenever he called. "I'm not saying abandon your friendship with her, I'm just asking for you to have some boundaries and to be honest with me and not make me feel like I'm coming in second place to her."

Dylan nodded his head, "I'm sorry"

"I'm sorry for getting mad... actually I'm sorry about my mood for the past two weeks. You should be able to breathe as loudly as you want whenever you want." she joked a little as Dylan cracked a smile and walked towards her.

"Has the spell finally been lifted? Is the evil queen no one?" he teased as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Hm, we'll see..." she said as he kissed her cheek and down her jaw before hugging her closely.

* * *

The following day at the peach pit, Kelly took the opportunity to apologise to Brenda for her actions.

"I'm really sorry Brenda. The green-eyed monster rears its head at really weird times..." she said as she crossed her arms and neatly rested them on top of her bump.

"I shouldn't be calling Dylan with my problems, you're right but... I can't believe _you're_ jealous of _me_. You have Dylan, you're having his _babies_." Brenda reminded him.

"Babies or not—sometimes I feel like I won't have him forever and the thought breaks my heart." Kelly confessed. She loved Dylan more than she could put into words, but she'd seen so many relationships crumble around her that she couldn't help but feel like hers was doomed.

"I don't know Kel. Maybe I taught Dylan how to love, but you brought him to life. That's not something that you can easily walk away from. You guys really do swing from chandeliers."

_Swing from chandeliers_... Kelly liked that. From there on out, she decided to use that as a bench mark for love. If it didn't feel like that, then it wasn't worth her time. She hoped that she would never have to think about loving someone else, but it certainly wasn't a bad way to think about it. If her relationship with Dylan ever felt like anything less than that, then she knew they had a problem.

* * *

When Kelly hit the 21st week of her pregnancy, she all of a sudden started to feel on edge. She couldn't quite place what it was, but something just didn't feel right. She tried not to let it get to her and put it down to general pregnancy anxiety, but she was going for a check-up soon anyway and hoped that would put her mind at rest.

Kelly had been helping Brenda rehearse her lines for an upcoming audition for a college play when Dylan came by her mother's house to collect her. It was a particularly warm day and Kelly insisted that they rehearse in a place that Kelly could stick her feet in the pool.

"Your ride is here" Brenda said as he nodded towards Dylan.

"Ladies" Dylan greeted.

"Oh Dylan, help me up" Kelly said as she held out her hands and Dylan pulled her up.

"God, I weigh a tonne. I'm like a beached_ whale_..." Kelly grumbled as she put her hands on her hips and looked down at her bump.

"Well you're the sexiest beached whale I've ever seen" Dylan told her as he kissed her cheek.

"You look great Kel." Brenda insisted. I mean, what did Kelly expected? There were two babies in there after all. "I'll see you guys later" she finished before walking on ahead of them.

"Are you ready to see our babies?" Dylan asked with a small smile as he rested his hand on her bump. He had been so excited to see them on the screen all week.

Kelly nodded, "I am, though I'm half expecting them to tell me that there's actually_ three_ babies in there..." she said. Kelly knew she was going to be bigger than the average pregnant woman, but this just felt abnormal at 21 weeks if she was being entirely honest. The previous week she couldn't wear any of her clothes but because her waist was expanding at what she described as 'an unstoppable rate' nothing was comfortable. She ended up wearing Dylan's clothes out and about but even they got too tight and Donna had to take her shopping for maternity clothes—though finding something cute and presentable was proving difficult.

"Kel-" Dylan began, ready to ease her concerns about her size but Kelly cut him off.

"I know, I'm being silly. What was I expecting? I'm supposed to get fat."

"Not fat, voluptuous." Dylan insisted as he kissed her head and began walking to the car.

* * *

"Everything looks good, the babies are moving around a lot" Dr. Robins had told them with a smile as she ran the probe over Kelly's stomach.

Dylan smiled and squeezed Kelly's hand, unable to take his eyes off the screen, "That's amazing..."

"So, there's nothing wrong with the ultrasound?" Kelly asked, needing as much clarification as she could get.

"Nothing is wrong. Normally I wouldn't have done one of these, but you seem nervous." Dr. Robins noticed.

"I'm glad you did." Kelly insisted.

"Are they growing on target?" Dylan asked. He'd really been getting in to some parenting books Iris had sent him and he know knew all the right questions to ask.

"Both their heads are the right sizes. It can sometimes be the case that one twin grows a little quicker than the other, but they're both doing great." Robins insisted with a smile.

"What about _my_ weight?" Kelly asked as Dr. Robins looked at her chart.

"We took your fundal growth and though it's on the high side of the curve, it's not abnormal. A lot of women gain extra weight, especially during their first pregnancy."

"That's what I've been telling her..." Dylan said as Kelly rolled her eyes.

"He reads one pregnancy book and all of a sudden thinks he's an expert..." Kelly grumbled as Dylan playfully pouted and Dr. Robins chuckled.

"Just try and relax. By next month, you'll be ready for Lamaze." Robins told them as Kelly still looked worried. "_Smile_ Kelly, you're allowed to, everything looks great. I'll come and see you before you go." she said as she left the room, wanting to give them a few minutes to take a breath.

"Thanks doc" Dylan said as she left.

"You think I'm just crying wolf, don't you?" Kelly asked as she twiddled her thumbs.

"No, I don't Kel" Dylan insisted as he ran his hand down the back of her hair. "Thousands of women have babies every day but if it takes 100 ultrasounds to make you feel at ease, then that is what you will get."

Kelly sighed, "Call it a mother's instinct, I don't know. I just really feel like something is wrong Dylan."

Dylan gulped and nodded his head. There wasn't much they could do right now apart from listen to Dr. Robins. Everything looked fine, but he knew Kelly wouldn't be able to drop this, and he wasn't sure he could drop it either. If she was on edge, then he was on edge but he knew he had to be the positive encourager, even when he didn't feel like being that person.

* * *

For the rest of the week, Kelly had been feeling really down. Dylan tried everything to brighten her mood but his efforts were proving to be futile. She just couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong with her babies.

That Saturday, Dylan had promised Erica he would take her to the beach and Suzanne and Kevin were planning on coming along too. Kelly had agreed to go too, but her heart had never really been in it. She just wasn't in the mood to hang out at the beach.

"Kevin and Suzanne are both taking the day off and it's Erica's first day at the beach since she learned how to swim, you can't back out now, this is important to me." Dylan pleaded as Kelly perched on one of the kitchen tables in the Pit.

"I really just feel terrible Dylan. I didn't exactly expect to feel this way when I said I would go" Kelly said quietly and glumly.

"Maybe the fresh sea air would do you some good." he suggested hopefully.

"I don't know..."

Dylan sighed and placed his hands on either side of her on the table. "Kelly, come on. The doctor said everything was ok, all your tests were normal." he reminded her, knowing that this was about the babies.

"I know that Dylan, but I still feel _strange!_" she exclaimed, getting more and more frustrated by the whole thing.

"Every mother-to-be get anxious at one time or another-"

"I feel anxious _all_ the time."

"Well... I have just the solution" he said with a small smirk as she pouted.

"Oh yeah?"

"Two things actually. Firstly, the most spine tingling back rub you could ever imagine" he said as he kissed her cheek and she smiled softly. "... and also a day out at the beach with my little sister." he added on to the end. He really didn't want to let Erica down and she was so excited about the babies too. She couldn't wait to become an auntie and was telling everybody at school and just loved talking to Kelly about it, so they both really wanted her to be there.

Kelly thought about it for a second before nodding her head. She really didn't want to let Dylan down. Not when she could see how important this was to him. "I'll be there."

"Thank you" he said softly as he brushed his nose against hers before giving her a soft and sweet kiss.

* * *

The following day, Dylan had arrived at the beach with Erica, Suzanne and Kevin after Kelly told him she would meet him there. She had a few errands to run and he figured he should give her some space on the issue. It was just a few errands after all, how late could she really be?

The answer was later than expected. It got to the point where Dylan thought she had flaked out on him and it felt pretty terrible to say the least. As he played with a ball with Erica, it rolled past him and he watched as someone picked it up.

"Is this yours little boy?" the familiar voice asked as he looked up at her and smiled softly before walking forward and taking the ball off her.

"I'm impressed you managed to bend down and get back up all by yourself..." he joked as Kelly playfully rolled her eyes.

_"Funny_..."

"I didn't think you were going to show" he said as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"I said I would be here" Kelly assured him as she wiped a bit of sand out of his hair.

"How's that sea air treating you?" he teased.

"Hm... not so bad" Kelly said with a smirk.

They walked over to Erica, Suzanne and Kevin and Dylan introduced Kevin to Kelly for the first time. As they shook hands, Kelly had a weird feeling about this guy. Something just felt a little bit _off_ about him, but she quickly shook her thoughts away realising that she was making a snap judgement based off of a feeling. At the rate her weird feelings were going, she hadn't been proved right yet.

Dylan and Kevin disappeared for a short while down the beach while Kelly, Erica and Suzanne sat and talked all things babies. When Dylan and Kevin arrived back, Dylan was glad to see them getting along so well.

"What have you ladies been talking about?" Kevin asked.

"The babies of course!" Erica said happily. "Kelly said that when they're here, I can come over and play with them whenever I want."

"Yeah but only if you change their diapers for us too..." Dylan teased as Erica scrunched up her face.

"I think I'll pass on that one..."

"Come on preggo" Dylan said as he helped Kelly to her feet. "Let's get you some ice cream."

"Ugh, the last thing I need is ice-cream... it's also the one thing I want more than anything" she said with a groan and a pout. She really shouldn't be surprised if she gained anymore weight at this stage.

Dylan raised an eyebrow, "Anything?" he asked as he teasingly kissed her neck.

Kelly giggled and tried to push him away, "_Dylan,_ stop it—_AH!_" she exclaimed as she grabbed her stomach and winced in pain.

"Wow, Kel, what's wrong?"

"I don't know, I—_AH!_" she exclaimed again as Dylan held onto her tightly and the other three rushed over to her. "These feel like—these feel like contractions" she managed to say as the pain spread across her face.

"Come on, we've got to get you to the hospital, I'll call Dr. Robins on the way." Dylan said frantically as he helped Kelly walk away.

Kelly's eyes filled with tears through a mixture of tears and pain, "This isn't supposed to be happening Dylan, they said I was alright!"

"Everything will be ok Kel, I got you-"

"Dylan, what if I'm losing the babies?" she said as Dylan gulped and she started to panic.

"You are _not_ losing the babies." He said with certainty, despite never having been more scared in his entire life.


	28. Preparation is Key

_Things have been pretty tense the last few chapters, so I wanted to add a little bit of lightness into this one... enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Eight- Preparation is Key

Once they had arrived at the hospital, the doctors and nurses were able to get Kelly's labour under control and stop her contractions for now. It was an incredibly scary time as Kelly and Dylan knew it was unlikely that their babies would survive if they were born at 21 weeks.

"This injection will stop the labour, we'll put you on a pill form that you can start taking tomorrow." Dr. Gordon told her as he gave it to her.

"I _knew_ something was wrong." Kelly said as she felt tears swell in her eyes and Dylan ran his hand soothingly over her back.

"You might feel a few more flutters and you've got some heavy-duty bed rest in your future but everything should be fine." the doctor assured her.

"That's exactly what my OB said a week ago." Kelly told him. Understandably, she was a little on edge about listening to what the doctors had to say right now.

"And she might tell you that again when she examines you tomorrow." Dr. Gordon replied. "I know this isn't very comforting to hear, but these things happen. We'll keep you here for a few more hours and then you'll be on your way."

Kelly knew the doctor was doing everything he could for her right now and she didn't know what she expected, but somehow, she wanted more from them. She wanted promises she knew they couldn't give.

"And then what?" Kelly asked.

"Then I will watch you every second for the next three months until the babies are born." Dylan told her as he kissed her head.

Three months of bed rest... this was going to be fun.

* * *

The following morning, Kelly opened her eyes just as Dylan walked into the bedroom with a tray of food.

"Breakfast is served" he said as Kelly sat up and he set the tray on her lap. Dylan was determined to wait on her hand and foot for the next three months. He would do absolutely anything to make sure that the rest of Kelly's pregnancy was as easy and unproblematic as possible.

Kelly smirked, "Well, I wish I got this special treatment more often..." she teased as Dylan lounged beside her.

"Well for the next three months you will be getting it" he said as he gave her a kiss. "But first... your pills malady." he teased as he held up her prescription bottle.

"Why thank you manservant" she joked back as she took her pills. "So, I was looking through this book last night" Kelly said as she reached over to the bedside table and handed him the book. "I've been trying to find something that explains what happened but I just can't find it..."

Dylan quickly flicked through the book, "I'm not sure you're going to find your answers in here Kel. Only a doctor can give you those."

"Yeah, I know..." she mumbled. "Dylan? I'm really scared." she said quietly as Dylan watched her eyes water. All of a sudden, they both felt like scared little kids, completely out of their depths and in a way- they were.

"Yeah, me too." He said as he pushed her hair behind her ear. "But our babies are superheroes. _You're_ a superhero and you're all going to be just fine." he assured her. What else could he do?

Kelly smiled softly, "I love you"

"I love you too" he told her as they quickly and sweetly kissed.

"And while we're on the topic of babies..." she said as she leaned over to the night stand and lifted up another book. She gave Dylan a hopeful smile as he read the front cover.

"The Ultimate Book of Baby Names... well, this can only descend into a fight" he said with a sigh as he lay back on the bed.

"Oh come on Dylan" Kelly whined. "We have to name them something!"

"You will hate anything I have to say, guaranteed." Dylan concluded.

Kelly raised an eyebrow, "Try me."

"Ok... Penny."

Kelly grimaced, "Like that girl you used 'hang out with' in Baja?" she asked.

"And there we go-"

"Well I'm sorry Dylan, but we're probably going to be hard pressed finding a name that isn't the name of someone you've slept with." she said with a playful eye roll.

Dylan frowned, "What kind of a dog do you think I am?"

Kelly smirked teasingly, "A very dirty dog..." she leaned down and kissed him again before Dylan pulled back slightly.

"Let's keep the sex talk to a minimum. Considering we cannot do anything in your current condition, it's only torture for me" he said with a sigh.

Kelly chuckled at his frustration, "Oh however will we pass the time now? Man, we might actually have to _talk_ to one another..." she joked.

"Oof, the horror..." he teased back as he scrunched up his face. "I suppose it gives us plenty of time to come up with some names." he said as he opened the book.

"I've marked a few of my favourites..." she said as she pointed to the tabs she'd left in the book. "And I'm telling you now Dylan, there can be _no_ compromising on the names we _have_ to be in agreement, it's an important thing, our children cannot have names that their own parents cannot get behind-"

"Kelly, I can assure you they will have names we both love." he said. He figured that it wouldn't be an easy process, however.

"Ok, good" she conceded. "There's also something else we need to do." Kelly said as she finished eating her breakfast and got out of bed.

"Kel, come on, you're supposed to stay in bed" he said as he went after her.

"I'm fine Dylan. This medication is making me speedy and nuts so a few minutes walking around is going to be good for me." she said as they walked into the living room.

"But it's all for a good cause, right? And it'll all be over in a couple of months..." he reminded her.

"I know, I know, but I had to show you something" she said.

"What?"

Kelly put her hands on her hips and looked at the living room, "Look at your living room Dylan. What do you see?"

Dylan looked into his living room and frowned. Was this some kind of trick question. "Uh- I see my living room."

"Really? That's _all_ you see? I see a glorified _bachelor pad_." she said as Dylan caught on. "I do _not_ see a space for two babies. I see cords lying everywhere, I see sharp corners on tables, I see open sockets."

"Baby-proofing..." Dylan concluded, finally understanding where she was going with this.

"Baby-proofing." Kelly confirmed.

"Kel, we have time to do that, they're just going to sleep, poop and eat for the first few months of their lives-"

"Dylan the _last_ thing we're going to want to be doing when they are here is baby-proofing, we need to get it done now, trust me." Kelly told him as she walked over to her bag and lifted out a notebook. "I made a list."

"A list?"

"Don't berate my list."

"I didn't _berate_ your list."

"You were about to I could see it on your face." Kelly challenged as Dylan decided to pipe down. "We need to welcome our babies into a happy and healthy environment. My mother has taken charge of my apartment and Donna is turning our spare room into a nursery and I am taking on the _mountainous_ task of this house."

Dylan ran his hand through his hair, "Baby names and baby-proofing... this is a lot for one day Taylor."

"Grow a pair McKay, this is the _easiest_ thing you're going to have to do." she said as she handed him the notebook. "I would help but you know—bed rest." she said with a little smile.

Dylan sighed, "How _convenient_." he said as he opened the book. "What about this list of baby furniture?"

"I'll get that sorted, don't worry" Kelly assured him.

"Can I sort out the cribs?" he asked cryptically.

Kelly raised an eyebrow, "You want to get the cribs?"

"Yeah, something like that" he said with a little shrug.

"... elaborate." she asked before she had a light bulb moment. "Wait, all that wood on your patio-"

"I was going to build them their cribs." Dylan said sheepishly.

Kelly felt her heart flutter at Dylan's gesture. He could be the sweetest soul in the world sometimes and it was moments like this that reminded Kelly how thankful and happy he was about this next stage of their lives.

"You're the sweetest" she said with a wide smile.

"Don't get all soppy on me Kel..." he protested.

"Oh you're going to have to get soppy when your little babies arrive" she said as she cupped his face and kissed his cheek.

"Yeah, we'll see..."

* * *

Later that evening, Kelly was reading a magazine on the sofa while Dylan continued to baby proof around the house. It was driving him completely _nuts_. It felt like an impossible task and he was finding it frustrating that Kelly was just lying there unable to help. He didn't blame her, but it just made the whole thing that little bit more exhausting.

In other news, Steve had called earlier that day to run a theory by Kelly about Brenda's recent casting in the college play. Steve had been dating her understudy, Laura, and after Brenda choked her audition, nobody could understand how she got the part—until Brenda revealed she'd gone round to the director's house and he gave her a second chance and Steve spread rumours that she'd done a little more than just talking to persuade him.

"So... do you think it's true?" Kelly asked as Dylan cleaned up around the fire place.

"Do I think what's true?"

"About Brenda and the director?" she asked.

Dylan sighed, "You can't actually believe that crap Kelly."

"I didn't say I believed it. I was just asking for your opinion." Kelly made clear.

"You want to know my opinion? It never happened." Dylan said firmly He didn't believe for one second that Brenda would do something like that and he wasn't all that pleased that he so called friends were entertaining the idea.

"Steve said-"

"I don't care what Steve said, he's going out with Brenda's understudy for god's sake, the man is not thinking with his head, he's thinking with his zipper." Dylan said, raising his voice slightly.

Kelly raised her eyebrows, "And you don't think Roy Randolph has a zipper?"

Dylan stopped what he was doing and stared at her, "I thought you just said you didn't believe it?"

"I don't-"

"Let's just change the subject." Dylan insisted. It was clearly going to descend into an unnecessary fight otherwise.

_"Fine_" Kelly said through her teeth as she looked back at her magazine. The doorbell rang and Dylan. "You better get that, I'm on bed rest, remember?" she taunted as he rolled his eyes and answered the door to Suzanne, Kevin and Erica.

"Hi!" Suzanne greeted happily. "Are we catching you at a bad time?" she asked as she looked in at Kelly who gave them a tight-lipped smile. Kelly was still a little on edge about Suzanne and Kevin. Something just felt really off about them and she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

"Oh no, it couldn't be more perfect, right Kel?" Dylan asked as Kelly tried to hide her eye roll at his sarcasm. She supposed they did need something to diffuse the tension that had been building between them all day. "Come on in" he said as he held the door open further and they came inside.

"Hi Kelly" Suzanne greeted.

"Hi" Kelly replied as she stood up.

"How are you feeling?"

Kelly sighed, "A little bored" she said with a light laugh.

"Oh it will all be worth it in the end." Suzanne insisted as Kelly nodded and smiled.

"Are those pastries from Le Brant?" Dylan asked as Kelly's eyes widened.

"It's like you read my mind, these are my absolute favourites!" Kelly said excitedly as she walked towards them and peaked in the box. "What's the special occasion?"

"Mom's getting married and I get to be the maid of honour!" Erica said happily as Dylan and Kelly smiled.

"Wow, congratulations!" Dylan said happily as he hugged Suzanne and shook Kevin's hand.

Kelly took a step back and folded her arms. She wanted to be happy for the pair but again—she had a nagging feeling in the back of her head that something was off. Instead, she opted for a little joke, "This certainly has been a whirlwind romance" she said with a little laugh.

"It is a little impetuous" Suzanne said with a laugh

"Yeah, but when something's this right, there's no reason to mess around with fate, you know?" Kevin added as he put his arm on Suzanne's shoulder.

Dylan raised his eyebrows at Kelly. They certainly knew a little something about fate and having that feeling in the pit of your stomach. "You are absolutely right..." Dylan said as Kelly held back a smirk.

"Can we have dessert now?" Erica asked eagerly.

"Of course we can, but only one piece, I don't want you bouncing off the walls all night" Suzanne told her as they made their way to the kitchen. Kelly was about to follow them when Dylan delicately pulled her back.

"Why can't you be happy for them Kelly?" he challenged.

"I _am_ happy for them."

"Oh yeah? Then what was with the wise crack about their whirlwind romance?" he asked.

"It was a joke Dylan, they have only know each other for a couple of weeks!" Kelly reasoned.

"Why are you damn negative?" he asked, completely frustrated.

"Oh because you're a constant _beacon_ of positivity." she said with an eyeroll. He had never been an optimist so she didn't take too kindly to him calling her out for having some concerns.

"I'm just happy for my family Kelly."

_"Family?_ You've known them for _5 minutes_." Kelly said through her teeth.

"Are you serious right now? Are you jealous or something? That somebody else is taking my attention away from you?" Dylan demanded to know.

Kelly shook her head and looked at her feet. She didn't want Dylan to see her cry. She was so _sick_ of the fighting going on between them. It was the last thing she needed right now. Lately it had been one extreme or the other. They either got on famously or they were at each other's throats. It was _exhausting_. He had it in his head that she was somehow against him which hurt more than she could say. She had always been in his corner and she always would be, but right now, she felt like he just didn't want her.

"I'm going to go home" Kelly said quietly as she tried to slip past Dylan but he held her back.

"No, you're not, you're supposed to be on bed rest." Dylan reminded her.

"I have a perfectly good bed at home."

"Kelly, I'm not letting you drive home alone-"

"Fine, then I'm going to bed" she said as she wiggled free of his hold. "_Goodnight."_ she said sternly to everyone before storming into the bedroom.

"Is everything alright?" Suzanne asked with a concerned look spread across her face.

"Just _peachy_..."

* * *

That night, Kelly woke up with a fright. Her breathing was laboured and she was incredibly warm following a horrible dream. She managed to steady her breathing after a few seconds. She looked over to the clock and saw that it was 3am before realising that Dylan wasn't beside her. He must have wanted to give her some space. She looked over to the door and saw a slither of light creeping in and frowned. Was he really awake right now?

She got up and walked into the living area and saw Dylan crouched over on the floor with two cribs half made.

"You do realise it's 3am, right?" she asked as she leant against the wall by the kitchen.

"Yeah I couldn't sleep. I just wanted to work on these..." he mumbled as he continued what he was doing.

"You do have a while you know. They look great..." she said as she walked forward and ran her hand over one of them.

"Thanks" he said as he finally stood up. He took in her appearance and noticed that she looked flushed and her eyes were blood shot. "Are you ok?"

"Just a bad dream" she said with a shrug.

"What happened?"

"I was in an abandoned warehouse and I can hear these babies screaming, and I look all around me... but I can't see them. I keep running and running through the building and the cries get louder and louder and then—I wake up." she told him.

"It's just a dream Kel." Dylan said as he rubbed her shoulder. "I can almost guarantee that you will not lose our babies in an abandoned warehouse..."

Kelly scoffed, "I know, it's just a stress dream."

"and even if you did lose them, I would be right by your side looking for them and we're a dream duo, we'd for sure find them" he said with a lopsided smirk, trying to cheer her up. They'd always worked well together in anything they did.

Kelly couldn't help put return his smirk, "I know... I'm really sorry about earlier. I don't want you to think that I don't support you and your... _family_ Dylan." she said, pausing slightly before managing to get the word out. "I _am_ happy for Suzanne and Kevin it's just—they came into your life in a flash and it was a lot to take in."

"I get it Kel, I shouldn't have lost it like that, I'm sorry too." Dylan assured her. He felt terrible the moment he said what he said and he knew it wasn't fair.

"I don't want you to ever think that I'm not in your corner because I am." Kelly wanted to assure him. "We made a pact, remember?" she teased as she nudged him with her elbow.

Dylan chuckled, "We did indeed... come on, let's get you to bed momma."

"Alright..." she said as she slapped her hand in his and went back to bed, happy that they could put this behind them. Kelly, however, had a funny feeling that this was an issue that would pop up again soon.


	29. Isn't (s)he Lovely?

_A long, bittersweet chapter to round off season 4..._

_Enjoy_

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Nine- Isn't (s)he Lovely?

A few weeks later, Dylan and Kelly made their way round to the hospital for a check-up. At 28 weeks, Kelly felt like she was ready to _explode_ but she knew she had to stay strong as she had a while to go. While she was nervous for her doctor's appointment, she was also thankful to be getting out of the house for a while. The only change of scenery she had was when they moved from Dylan's house to her apartment every couple of days and she was beyond fed up. There were only so many baby books or so much college reading she could do without going stir _crazy_.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Dr. Gordon said as he walked into his office and shook their hands.

"Oh, that's ok, I'm just glad to be out of bed" Kelly joked as they all sat down.

Dr. Gordon smiled, "I'm glad your spirits are up. I've been going over the results of the tests we ran-"

"And I have been taking my pills faithfully" Kelly said proudly as Dylan squeezed her hand.

Dr. Gordon nodded, "I understand, but as far as controlling your preterm labour is concerned, I'm afraid the pills aren't working as well as we'd hoped. Your pelvic exam shows that you've dilated another cm."

Kelly frowned in disbelief, "How can that be?"

"What is most concerning is the ultra sound." Dr. Gordon replied as Kelly and Dylan's hearts sank further to the floor. "There is evidence of a serious excess of amniotic fluid."

"Is that why I've been so swollen?" Kelly asked. She just knew she was much bigger than she should have been for that stage.

"Yes and it probably caused your preterm labour contractions."

"Just how serious is it?" Dylan asked with a gulp as he held Kelly's hand in between both of his and anxiously rubbed it.

Dr. Gordon sighed regretfully, "It's very serious. In the last week, the condition has become dangerous for the health of your children. I think it's highly unlikely that you'll be able to carry these babies to term. They will most likely have to be delivered in a few days."

_"Days?"_

"I'm only 28 weeks" Kelly said frantically. It was just far too soon, there was no way this was safe, there had to be another way.

"That is why my first recommendation is for you to check into the hospital as soon as possible. Maybe even tonight so we can monitor you and the baby." Dr. Gordon insisted as Kelly's eyes prickled with tears. "We have to try and prolong this pregnancy as long as we possibly can, especially considering there are two babies in there who are more likely to be slightly lighter than just one. In this situation even one week can make the difference in their health."

Kelly sighed and scoffed, "we were supposed to start our Lamaze classes tonight."

"I know this must seem very sudden to you, but the last thing we need is for your water to break."

Dylan and Kelly nodded their heads to make clear they understood, but they just couldn't find the words to express how they were feeling. They were completely and utterly terrified. It was looking like they would become parents a lot sooner than they expected and under incredibly stressful circumstances. Dylan knew, however, that despite his own fears, he had to put them behind him and be the strong one for Kelly. She was the one going through all of this after all. He had to be the rock she had been to him on _countless_ occasions—as difficult as that might be.

* * *

After their doctor's appointment, Dylan and Kelly made their way to Kelly's apartment to pack a hospital bag. For the first few minutes, they did so in silence, not really sure what there was to say to one another, but suddenly Kelly broke.

"This is my fault Dylan" she said as she stopped packing and sat down on her bed. "I kept getting out of bed when I shouldn't have, I was always running around the place beforehand, I kept worrying about everything—what if we lose the babies?"

"Hey, we're _not_ going to lose the babies" he said as he crouched down and ran his hand through her hair in a bid to sooth her.

"How do you know?"

"... come with me" he said as he took her hand and led her out of the bedroom and into the spare room of the apartment that was being turned into the nursery.

Kelly opened the door and turned the light on to reveal two beautiful mahogany cribs placed against the wall.

"Dylan... when did you finish them?" she asked as she walked towards them and ran her hands over them.

Dylan shrugged and let out a little laugh, "I honestly don't even know... I worked through the night and the morning and believe me—" he began as we wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his head against hers. "There is no way I did all of this work for nothing. Our babies are going to be just fine and, in a few weeks, they will be sleeping soundly in these cribs."

Kelly smirked, "Soundly?"

"I can keep dreaming..."

* * *

After getting Kelly to the hospital and settled in her room, Dylan gave everyone a call to tell them what was going on. Jackie immediately came to visit but her frantic behaviour was driving Kelly crazy, so she politely asked her mother to leave and come back in the morning. After walking Jackie out, Dylan came back into the room and sat on the edge of Kelly's bed.

"Everyone is dying to come see you. I told them they should probably wait until the morning." Dylan told her as he ran his thumb over her cheek.

"Yeah, I'm not sure I'm much company tonight..." Kelly said with a sad smile. "Did they say how Brenda's play went?"

"Yeah, they said it was good. Bren rocked it." Dylan told her.

Kelly smiled proudly, "I'm sure she did."

"Hey, I uh—I wanted to run something by you..." Dylan said cautiously. He wasn't sure when was a good time to bring this up and in all honesty, now probably wasn't it, but if he didn't move now the opportunity might pass. "I was thinking about making an investment in Kevin's company."

"... Oh" was all Kelly could say.

"You don't approve?" Dylan asked. What else could he assume from her statement?

Kelly shook her head, "I have no say what you do with your money, that's why you have Jim." She really wanted to stay clear of this descending into another fight. Truth was, she still just didn't trust Kevin. She felt like they didn't truly know him well enough to give him no doubt a significant amount of money.

"Kelly, we're family-" Dylan began to protest. If he was going to make a decision like this he really wanted her on board.

"Dylan, we've fought about your finances before, I know it's best that I stay clear, what you do with your money is _entirely_ your prerogative. Just as long as you have enough money for the babies you can do as you please" she said with a little laugh.

Dylan nodded his head. He didn't want this to be the only conversation they had about this. He didn't want to make such a huge decision and leave Kelly in the dark about it, but Kelly clearly was in no place to get into it right now.

"We can talk about it another time" Dylan conceded as he turned around and looked at the babies' heart monitors. "Check out their heart beats, they're so fast... my boys are strong." he tested.

Kelly raised an eyebrow, "My _girls_ are strong..." she replied.

Dylan smirked, "Girls huh?" he really did not mind what they had. He would adore two little girls and he would adore two little boys.

Kelly shrugged, "call it a mother's intuition."

"I don't know Kel, I am the son of a psychic..." he teased.

Kelly playfully rolled her eyes, "Oh I'm sure Iris has her own predictions."

"Oh yeah. She reckons it's one of each."

* * *

The following day all of Kelly and Dylan's friends stopped by throughout the day to keep Kelly company. They were great at taking Kelly's mind of things, but Dylan's mind was racing at a hundred miles per hour. While he gave Kelly some space to talk with Donna, he paced outside her door, thinking about everything that was going on. He figured now really wasn't the best time for him to be considering investing in Kevin, but he was really pressuring him to get on board. It was like he was on a tight time limit to get this deal through.

Brandon turned the corner and sighed when he saw Dylan looking so freaked.

"Hey" Brandon said as Dylan looked up and let out a breath when he saw his friend. "How you doing?"

"My head is a little all over the place" Dylan replied honestly. "I need to call a whole bunch of professors, let them know she's not going to be able to finish the semester."

"She can make it up next semester, it's no problem." Brandon tried to assure him.

"Yeah... Brandon I could never tell Kelly this but—I'm scared to death" he said with a gulp. "My babies are going to be premature... what chance do they have at living a normal life?"

"A lot of kids are born early Dylan and thrive in life. They are in with a hell of a chance. Yeah, it may be difficult, but you can't rule them out." Brandon replied.

"Apparently girls have a higher chance of survival than boys if they're premature." Dylan told him. He figured that reading all of those pamphlets in the NICU probably wasn't the best idea. He only freaked himself out.

"Do you know the sexes?"

"No... Kelly's pretty much convinced herself they're both girls, I reckon they'll both be boys." Dylan told him.

Brandon smiled, "I could see you as a father to little girls."

"You're kidding, right?" What did he know about little girls?

"No, for real. I just think you would adore them and they would look at you like you were some sort of superhero" Brandon told him. He didn't know why, but he could just picture him so clearly as a father to girls.

Dylan chuckled, "And then I'll just become their super lame dad when they're teenagers who never lets them do anything and always embarrasses them..."

"At least you'll always be there." Brandon said as he patted his shoulder.

* * *

A few moments later, the doctor came by and informed Kelly that she needed to get an amnio to make sure that there were no birth defects caused by the excess fluid surrounding the babies. In other news, Jim had arranged a brunch at the Walsh house to they could learn a little more about what Kevin was doing and determine whether it was a worthwhile investment. Dylan obvioulsy wanted to be there, but he wasn't too keen on leaving Kelly.

"I'm supposed to be having brunch tomorrow with Jim and Kevin, just so we can get to know Kevin a little better before we think about investing." Dylan told her.

"I'm sorry I can't be there."

"... you know, it can wait, we've got too much doing on here-" Dylan decided.

"No, no, I'm fine, the babies are fine and this is important to you." Kelly insisted as she held his hand.

"Even if you don't agree with it?" Dylan questioned.

Kelly sighed, "It's not that I don't agree with it Dylan, I'm just worried that you're jumping into something too fast. How much do you really know about Kevin and his supposed company he's starting?"

"That's what the brunch is for." he said getting a little frustrated.

"Ok, well, go to your brunch and then come straight back to me" she said as she leaned forward and he closed the gap as he kissed her.

"I will. Now, get some rest" he said as he kissed her again before settling in the chair beside her bed. He looked up briefly at the heart monitors again as Kelly snuggled down into her bed. "Their little hearts are still racing..."

"They're going to be fine Dylan." Kelly said, taking her turn to assure Dylan. She hadn't been completely oblivious to Dylan's emotions the past few days. She could tell he was scared and trying to act like he wasn't for her. She appreciated it, but she didn't want to him to bottle up his emotions to the point where he exploded. He needed her as much as she needed him.

* * *

The following afternoon, Dylan arrived back at the hospital following his brunch at the Walshes. He walked into Kelly's room and found her playing with the etch a sketch Donna brought her the previous day. When she saw Dylan at the door she smiled widely.

"Hey! How did it go?" she greeted happily.

"Jim seemed impressed. Soon enough Kevin's going to be a money-making machine" Dylan replied with a little laugh as he quickly kissed Kelly, but immediately felt her mood shift. "What?" he asked.

Kelly shook her head, "Nothing."

"Kelly, you're biting your lip." he observed. He wasn't an idiot, he knew she was holding back and he didn't doubt that it wasn't anything good.

Kelly sighed, "Listen to yourself Dylan, you're already spending your non-existent profits."

"What is wrong with wanting to make a buck?" he questioned.

"The fact is, you've changed since Suzanne came into town." Kelly unexpectedly challenged.

"Ok, why don't you keep grinding that axe Kel, cause that's what this is about? You resent Suzanne, you resent Erica, anything that take my attention away from you for a little while" he exclaimed as he moved to the end of the bed, completely frustrated by her unreasonable behaviour.

Kelly shifted uncomfortably where she lay, "Dylan-"

"No, Kelly, I am _sick_ of this pettiness and passive aggressive behaviour! What is so wrong with me embracing my family?!" he interrupted, completely obviously to the discomfort Kelly was in.

"Dylan, get Dr. Gordon, my water just broke" she said quickly as Dylan froze and rushed to her side.

"What? Are—Are you sure?" he asked desperately.

_"Yes!"_ she screamed as Dylan rushed out of the room and quickly came back with a few nurses and the doctor.

"This can't be happening" Kelly said as pain rippled through her stomach and her breathing became heavier.

"Everything's going to be fine Kel" Dylan said as he grabbed her and and ran his other other over her hair.

"Don't worry Kelly, let's take a look..." Dr. Gordon said as he sat down to examine her. "Yes, we have a rupture. We need to get you up to delivery right away, you could have these babies at any minute, I'm sorry Kelly."

"No, no, it's too soon!" Kelly protested as the nurses started to move her bed.

"We'll do everything we can to help your babies." Dr. Gordon assured her as they all rushed out of the room and up to delivery.

* * *

Dylan shuffled out of the OR like the air had just been knocked out of him. He placed the scrub cap he had been given into the bin with a gulp. His babies had just been brought into the world and all he felt was _numbness_. This wasn't the joyful experience they had expected. As soon as they were lifted out, they were whisked away before he or Kelly could even see them. They weren't crying, everyone's movements were frantic. The whole thing went by in a blur and then they were being rushed out of the room.

While the doctors sewed Kelly back up, she demanded that Dylan go straight to the NICU to find out what was going on. He took a moment to breath before turning around and making his way there. As he turned the corner, he stopped in his steps and his heart skipped a beat. They were _all_ here. Every single one of them. Brandon, Brenda, Steve, Andrea, Donna and David. How did they even know to come?

Brandon was the first to look up and spot Dylan, "Dylan, hey" he said as everyone immediately jumped up and rushed over to him. "What's going on? Are you a papa?" he asked expectantly.

Dylan felt himself involuntarily smile. It wasn't a beaming smile, but it was a proud one none the less. It had really just hit him that he was a_ dad_. His babies were _here_. They were fighting for their lives but they were _here._

"Looks like I am." he said with a nod as everyone smiled, Donna and Andrea even teared up. "A little boy and a little girl" Dylan told them as Donna put a hand on her chest. This was _exactly_ what Kelly told her she wanted. The best of both worlds. "A very _tiny_ little boy and girl" Dylan added on the end.

"One of each, wow" Brenda said with a little laugh and a smile.

"Can we see them?" Donna asked eagerly.

Dylan gulped, "Not for a while, they had to take them straight to the NICU, Kelly and I haven't even seen them yet."

"You're kidding" David said as everyone's face fell. Imagine welcoming your children into the world but not being able to see them right away.

"How's Kelly doing?" Brandon asked.

"She's ok. A little out of it and emotional, but she was amazing in there." Dylan said proudly. He hated seeing Kelly in such a vulnerable state yet at the same time, he loved seeing her strength in an incredibly difficult situation. He didn't think it was possible, but in that moment, he loved her more than he already did.

"Do you have names picked out?" Andrea asked.

Dylan scoffed, "We're still negotiating that... it will probably be unsurprising to you all that somehow the conversation always descends into a fight..." he joked as everyone let out a little laugh.

"Strange, that's totally not like you two..." Steve teased. Everyone knew about the contentious state of their relationship over the past year.

"Will you call us when we can come and see Kelly and the babies?" Brenda asked as Dylan nodded his head.

"I'm going to call Jackie, she's no doubt freaking out right now trying to get through that downtown traffic." David said with wide eyes.

"Please try and calm her down before she gets here, the last thing Kelly needs is her mother going crazy..." Dylan begged. He knew all too well how frantic and over the top Jackie could get in stressful situations.

David nodded his head knowingly as everyone said their goodbyes and started to walk away.

"Donna, Brandon, would you guys hold on?" He asked as they turned back. "Would you guys mind sticking around for a while? I know Kelly would love to see you."

Brandon nodded his head, "Of course."

"I think _I'll_ probably need you guys too" he said with a gulp. "You should know that things with the babies are going to be touch and go for the next 48 hours. They're _really_ small..." Dylan said quietly, knowing that the next few weeks were going to be incredibly difficult and testing.

"How small?" Donna asked.

"2lbs 80z and 2lbs 6oz" Dylan revealed as his friends looked shocked at just how tiny they were.

"Well" Brandon said as he rested his hand on Dylan's shoulder, "They say good things come in small packages." he encouraged as Dylan gave him a tight lip smile and a nod.

Dylan then asked them to check in with Kelly while he went up to the NICU to see his babies. When he got there, he washed his hands and put his gown on before taking a breath and walking into the room. He could hear monitors buzzing and beeping all around him as he looked at all the cribs.

"Ah, Mr McKay" one of the nurses said, snapping him out of his daydream. "I thought I would be seeing you up here soon. Your babies are stable, we have them on ventilators but I can assure they are comfortable and in good hands, so don't be alarmed by all the wires and tubes. Come this way" she said as Dylan followed her to the end of the room. "Here we go. Baby boy and baby girl McKay. Congratulations dad." she said with a reassuring smile as Dylan finally saw his babies.

They were even tinier than he expected them to be despite knowing their sizes. He carefully studied them and saw they already had little tufts of blonde hair and he didn't doubt that their eyes would be the most beautiful shade of blue. He could already see Kelly in them both and that filled him with such _joy._

He wiped away a stray tear from the corner of his eye before speaking, "Hi twinnies..." he said quietly as he placed his hands-on top of the incubators. "I'm sorry you don't have names yet. Momma and I are just having too much fun arguing about it." he joked. "This is pretty scary huh?" he said as he looked at their monitors. "But I am so glad that you are here. I know the next little while is going to be a struggle but I also know that you're going to be just fine... all because your mom is Kelly Taylor and there is no one in the world that is better than her. We love you so, so much." Dylan finished as he continued to gaze in on them for another little while.

* * *

A short while later, Dylan made his way round to Kelly's recovery room. He struggled to leave the babies but he was really desperate to see his love and he knew she would want to hear about the babies. When he arrived, he was glad to see that she was awake, though still a little groggy from the anaesthesia. She also looked irritated and sad which he could understand. He quickly walked towards her and sat on the edge of the bed before delicately kissing her head.

"They won't let me see them Dylan" she said quietly as a tear escaped her eye. Since she just had surgery she couldn't really move and for obvious reasons the babies couldn't come to her.

Dylan ran his hand over Kelly's head comfortingly, "They're just sprucing them up for you" he tried to joke as she cracked a small smile.

"Will you tell me what they look like?" she asked as Dylan nodded and held onto her hand tightly.

"They're small but uh—they already have some tufts of blonde hair just like yours" he said while playing with the ends of her and a smile gradually forming on his face. "And our little boy already has my character defining frown lines"

Kelly smiled widely, "He's going to be a brooder."

Dylan nodded, "Oh yeah... and our daughter has your lips" he said as he ran his thumb over Kelly's, "so I don't doubt her smile will be as bright and as captivating as yours."

"They sound _perfect_" Kelly said in a whisper.

"They _are_ perfect." Dylan confirmed. "Kel, about that fight we were having before-" Dylan began. The guilt had been eating him alive. He felt responsible for sending her into labour, he should have known better than to get so mad at her.

"Dylan, I don't want to talk about that" Kelly interrupted. "I don't want to fight about that. If you trust them, I trust them, that's all that needs to be said." Kelly concluded. She had decided to put the whole thing to one side. She had bigger things to worry about right now than Dylan's investment plans.

"Ok..." Dylan agreed. "How long do you think they'll keep you in here?" he asked.

"I don't know, as long as they can I hope. I'm not overly keen on leaving here without my babies."

* * *

The following morning, Dylan walked into Kelly's room after visiting the NICU just as she started to stir awake.

"Hey" he greeted softly as she smiled at him and he helped her sit up a little. "How did you sleep?"

"I didn't. I kept thinking about the twins... the _nameless_ twins." Kelly added.

Dylan grimaced, "Maybe we should hold off on naming them" he said quietly. He knew it probably sounded silly, but for some reason he felt it would be harder if something happened to them and they had names. For some reason, names made the whole thing feel more real.

"Good morning" Bonnie, Kelly's nurse said as she walked in with a wheel chair.

"Morning Bonnie" Kelly greeted happily.

"Are we ready to go?" Bonnie asked.

"Go where?" Dylan inquired immediately. She wasn't really in much of a state to go anywhere right now.

"To see the babies" Kelly said as Bonnie helped her into the chair.

"Kel-" Dylan began to protest but Kelly was quick to shut him down.

"I'm fine Dylan, Dr. Gordon said it was fine." Kelly assured him.

"Could you give us a minute please?" Dylan asked Bonnie who nodded her head and left the room.

"Kelly, I don't know if it's a good idea for you to go down there." Dylan said cryptically as he sat opposite her chair on the bed.

Kelly frowned, "Why not?"

"Our boy is stable but our girl stopped breathing at one point last night." Dylan told her. His trip to the NICU this morning hadn't been an entirely positive one. "But she's back on her respirator and she's doing better, but they still want to give her a blood transfusion and put her on antibiotics."

"Oh my god" Kelly mumbled out as she started to feel panicked. "I have to go to her."

"Kelly-" Dylan began to protest again. He didn't want her to panic and freak out, she was still recovering from surgery after all, she needed to think of herself too.

"_No,_ Dylan." Kelly said firmly. "I am their mother, I _have_ to be with them." she said as Dylan gave in a nodded his head before turning her chair around and leading her out the door.

* * *

A short moment later, Kelly and Dylan had arrived at the NICU. They put their gowns on and went into the room. They were immediately greeted by the smiling nurse who spoke to Dylan yesterday.

"Hi Kelly, I'm Mandy your twins' nurse." she introduced.

"How are they doing?" Kelly asked immediately

"Much better. They're very alert for premies. They're right here" she said as Dylan wheeled her over to them. They were both in the one incubator now and Dylan was about to ask why, but Mandy was ready with an answer. "We found that when they were beside each other, their stats were much better. They form a real bond in the womb that has clearly transferred here." she explained as Kelly smiled at the sweetness of this. She loved the idea of her babies having a tight bond. Hopefully, it was a tight bond that they would carry with them through life.

Kelly looked up at Dylan and saw that he looked completely mesmerised by them. His eyes were glistening with tears of joy.

"Are you _crying_?" she asked with a little laugh. Dylan rarely cried so this was certainly unusual.

"I don't think I've ever seen anything so precious before" Dylan confessed.

Kelly nodded, "They are _so_ beautiful... though I am totally _not_ bias." she joked. They had really exceeded what she expected to see when she came down here. They may have been covered in tubes and wires but they still looked so peaceful and so, so_ tiny_. Dylan's descriptions of them had been right in every way, but while he saw Kelly in them, Kelly immediately saw _Dylan_ in them.

"You can touch them, just put your hands through these holes" Mandy pointed out to them before leaving the family of four alone.

Dylan moved to one side of the incubator while Kelly went to the other and they delicately touched their babies for the first time.

"Hi babies..." Kelly said quietly. "Hi Mollie, hi Tommy" she tested as Dylan looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"Mollie and Tommy? Aren't those two of _my_ name suggestions?" he asked. He was surprised that she was even contemplating anything he had to say.

"Maybe..." she grumbled, her pride not really wanting to give in, but she really loved the names. She thought they were very sweet and once she said them out loud, she just felt like they fit perfectly.

"Ah, she's _finally_ given in" Dylan teased as Kelly rolled her eyes.

"I think they suit them perfectly." she told him as Dylan nodded his head before looking back at the babies.

* * *

That afternoon, Dylan briefly stepped out to go and congratulate Kevin and Suzanne on their recent nuptials. When he got there, Erica immediately bombarded him with questions about the babies. Specifically—she wanted to know what they looked like and when she could meet them. Dylan assured her that as soon as they were big enough he would bring her straight to them.

On his way back from the wedding, Dylan bumped into Brenda just as she was leaving Kelly's room.

"Hey dad" she teased as Dylan chuckled.

"Hi Bren" he replied with the smallest of smiles as he slipped his hands in his pockets.

"Kelly was on the verge of falling asleep though she is desperate to get back upstairs to those babies" Brenda told him.

"Yeah, she really didn't want to leave them earlier." Dylan confirmed. Neither did he, but he was glad for the moment of fresh air.

Brenda noticed how tired and downtrodden Dylan looked. "Are you ok?" she asked quietly.

Dylan nodded and ran a hand through his hair, "Yeah, I just—I feel like I'm living a little bit of a nightmare." he confessed. "I was telling Erica about how she'll be able to meet the babies soon and how she'll be the best aunt... but I don't even know if they're going to survive."

"Dylan, you can't think like that." Brenda told him sternly. What good was expecting the worst going to do?

"I know that I just—it's scary Bren. To have so much love enter your heart, even the thought of having it ripped away—I've lost too much already. I _can't_ lose anymore."

"You're not going to." Brenda said confidently. "Your babies are going to be just fine because their parents are two of the strongest people I know. Have faith Dylan. Just—_have faith_."

* * *

That afternoon, Donna arrived to see Kelly while Dylan took a much needed nap. Kelly quickly convinced Donna to take her down to the NICU to see the babies and unsurprisingly, Donna instantly fell in love with them.

"I can't believe how tiny they are... look at their little fingers and those pouty lips too!" Donna joked as Kelly laughed.

"I know..."

"How are you feeling Kelly?" Mandy asked as she approached the two.

"A little better" Kelly confirmed.

"So is baby girl. Her breathing has stabilised and she hasn't lost any weight in the past 8 hours" Mandy told her with an encouraging smile.

"Finally" Kelly said, completely relieved to hear that.

"Baby boy is total champ too. Want to help me give them a bath?"

"Really?" Kelly said quickly and excitedly.

Mandy nodded and smiled, "Wait here, let me get some warm water" she said before she disappeared.

Donna looked around the NICU and saw that all the babies had decorated signs with their names above their incubators, but the twins had nothing.

"You better get your crayons out mom" Donna said.

Kelly frowned, "why?"

"Look at all these other incubators, they're all decorated." Donna said as Kelly remained silent. "What's the matter?"

"It's Dylan" Kelly said quietly. "I know he won't admit it, but he's _terrified._ I told him to take a walk earlier and just catch a breath, maybe spend some time with Erica. If I could take a walk too I would but it's just been really overwhelming for us despite the brave face he puts on. He couldn't even put their names on their birth certificates. He can't even say their names out _loud_."

Donna wrapped an arm around her friend protectively, "He'll come around Kel. He always does."

* * *

The following day, Dylan helped Kelly walk through the hallways and towards the NICU. Everyday her strength was building and she was thankful she could start walking around now. In other news, Dylan and Jim had almost closed their deal with Kevin and Dylan was more than ready to see the profits start rolling in.

"So, you're really going through with this deal?" Kelly asked as she held onto his arm.

"I don't see why not" Dylan said with a shrug. "I don't like to be greedy Kel but I really think this is a good idea."

"Ok. Whatever you say" she merely replied. She just couldn't be excited about the whole thing, not when something felt off.

"Still sceptical huh?" he asked.

"I think we both need to accept that I'll be sceptical right until I see some profits roll in" she said as the stopped outside the NICU door.

"Fair enough..." he conceded as he opened the door to the scrub room just as Mandy rushed out.

"I've got a code in here!" she shouted as a few nurses and a doctor rushed into the room and Kelly and Dylan rushed to the window. They desperately looked around to see who they were with, and their hearts soared when they saw their babies in the opposite corner, completely fine.

"It's not Tommy and Mollie. It's not them." Dylan said quickly as he let out a breath and kissed Kelly's head.

"... that's the first time you've said their names." Kelly noticed as she looked up at him and saw the tears in his eyes.

"Kel, I-" he said as he choked up. He had been trying so hard to be strong and to show that he was ok but he couldn't do it anymore. He had to say and do something otherwise he felt like he might explode. "I don't want to lose them. I _can't_ lose them." he said desperately as Kelly quickly turned and hugged him tightly, knowing exactly how he felt.

* * *

A few days later, the doctor was ready to discharge Kelly. Her incision was healing nicely and he didn't see any reason for her to stay here. While Kelly was thankful to leave, she was also _dreading_ leaving her babies here. They were nowhere near ready to leave and Kelly and Dylan knew they had a long and difficult summer ahead.

After getting dressed and gathering her things to go that evening, Kelly and Dylan made one last quick trip to the NICU.

"Hi Kelly, Dylan" Mandy greeted as they walked in. "Big day for you, how are you feeling?"

"Nervous" Kelly replied honestly. "How are the twinnies?"

"They're doing good. Mollie gained another pound last night and Tommy gained two." Mandy told them proudly.

"That's wonderful news" Dylan said as he squeezed Kelly's hand.

"I don't know how we're going to leave without them" Kelly said with a frown.

"Don't worry, we'll take very good care of them." Mandy assured them.

"But we will be here, every day" Kelly said as she walked over to their incubators. "You're going to have to tough some of this out on your own twinnies... but that's what life is all about."

"Yeah, listen to your mom, she knows best" Dylan teased as Kelly chuckled.

"They are very strong twins. I have a good feeling about them" Mandy said just as Steve and Donna walked in.

"Hey!" Donna greeted happily as Mandy slipped away. "We just wanted to make sure everything was ok before you left." Donna walked over to the incubators and peered in. "They are so beyond perfect you guys..."

"New born babies _never_ look this cute" Steve said, completely confused how the twinnies could be so damn beautiful despite being premies, let alone just new borns. Steve was convinced all new borns looked like potatoes. "They're like _magic_."

Kelly smiled, "I guess we did pretty good."

"Did you decided on any names yet?" Donna asked.

"Well, after many arguments..."

"More like Kelly just saying no to anything I suggested" Dylan interjected as Kelly nudged him in the stomach.

"That is not true, you came up with both of these names." she warned as Dylan winked at her knowingly. "This little guy is Thomas Arthur McKay—Tommy for short and this little lady is Mollie Louise McKay."

"Mollie means bitter so it seemed appropriate to me" Dylan joked as Kelly glared at him.

"_Dylan_, don't tell people that, we picked it because we liked it." Kelly clarified as Steve and Donna laughed.

"They're perfect" Donna told them. "Tommy and Mollie McKay... welcome to the world!"

* * *

That night, Kelly and Dylan arrived back to Kelly's empty apartment. Kelly switched the lights on and Dylan dumped their bags at the door, not having the energy to do anything else. Kelly immediately went into the nursery and stood in front of the empty cribs Dylan had made. She ran her hand over them sadly as Dylan walked in and leant on the door frame.

"I never expect to be coming home without them." Kelly said after realising Dylan was behind her.

"They won't be empty forever Kel" he said as he nodded at the cribs.

"I know... I'm scared Dylan" she said as she turned around to look at him.

Dylan nodded, "So am I... but my heart is also so _full_" he said with a little smile as he walked towards her and wrapped him in a hug, her head resting gently against his chest. "We made two little babies Kel. I always knew that it was an exciting thing but I don't really think I appreciated how much love I would feel when I first saw them. They are pure _magic_" he said as she smiled against his chest.

"Yeah. They are. We have a_ family_ Dylan. We have all we have ever really wanted." she said quietly. It was a huge deal to them that they had a family of their own. _They_ were now the parents and _they_ called the shots. They would never make their children feel lost or neglected or insecure or angry. They could give them the love they didn't have and _they_ could get the love they always dreamed of.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you?" he asked as she lifted her head and looked up at him.

"From the way you're looking at me right now, I have a pretty good idea."

Dylan raised an eyebrow, "How am I looking at you?"

Kelly smiled, "Like I'm an _angel._" she said, remembering Jack telling her Dylan always looked at her in this way.

Dylan chuckled, "Well, I did promise you I would always look at you that way..."

"Yeah you did" Kelly said with a little giggle. "I can't quite believe that this is our life Dylan. After everything we've been through together and apart—it's you and I standing here, so in love, with a family."

"I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Me either. It's you and me McKay. Always."

Dylan smiled, "_Always."_

_I__t almost seems too good to be true...__let me know what you think and __check__ out tomorrow's installment for the beginning of season 5! _


	30. We All Fall Down

_Hi everyone! Loved hearing all your thoughts on the end of season 4. Particularly loved what a guest reviewer said about Dylan growing up-- that is going to be something that pops up throughout the remaining chapters. Also loved seeing the intrigue as to where this could go. Obviously I'm not going to tell you... but i will say that there's a lot of drama, heightened emotions, epic love and two cute kids._ _Keep__ your thoughts coming on where you'd like/think this story to/could go!_

_Also, if the daily updates are coming too fast, just let me know. I want to be able to hear what everyone thinks before i move on._

_On__ to season 5 now... this is a frustrating chapter but at the same time I loved writing it, hopefully you guys will see why._

_Enjoy_!

* * *

Chapter Thirty- We All Fall Down

3 MONTHS LATER

Kelly arrived at the NICU clutching Tommy's car seat tightly in her hands as Brandon followed behind her. She walked into the room and went straight over to Mollie who smiled immediately when she saw her mother.

"Hi baby" Kelly said happily as she set Tommy down and lifted Mollie into her arms.

"I can't believe how big she's gotten" Brandon said as he peered over her shoulder.

"Neither can I" Kelly said happily. It had taken them a while, but the twins were finally in a much healthier and stronger place. While Tommy had been released from the hospital over a month ago, Mollie hadn't been quite so lucky. On their 'graduation day' they were both at the right weight to finally be allowed home, but as Kelly held Mollie and gave her the final feed in the hospital, something just didn't feel right. The doctors and nurses kept assuring her that she was fine and that she was just nervous about having to take them home and look after them without the nurses. Kelly _refused_ to put Mollie back in her cot, however, and the hours started to trickle by. Even Dylan thought she was being ridiculous by that point. She finally gave in and just as they were about to leave, Dylan commented at how peaceful Mollie seemed in Kelly's arms... and then she started turning _blue._

After 46 seconds they managed to get Mollie breathing again. There was a small tear in her abdominal wall that caused a strangulation. The doctors hadn't seen it because they simply weren't looking for it. So, Mollie was still in the hospital as she recovered from her scare and Kelly learnt to _never _be afraid to follow her instincts. She learnt that people can laugh at her and call her an hysterical mother but it didn't matter. It was her baby and she was going to protect her and Tommy at all costs. Who else was going to?

"Has uh—has Dylan been around lately?" Brandon asked cautiously as Kelly stiffened.

"I don't know. If he has, he's conveniently managed to avoid me." Kelly told him as she continued to look down at Mollie. She ran the tips of her fingers over her little tufts of blonde hair. She adored her babies beyond words but sometimes it was so hard to look at them because every time she looked at them, she saw _him._

"You still have no idea what happened, huh?" Brandon asked.

The day after Kelly was released from the hospital Dylan started acting strangely. He was really distant, he barely spoke to Kelly—the only thing he appeared to be interested in was the twins. It was like a switch had clicked in his brain. He was an entirely different person and Kelly had no idea why. She had no idea what had happened to turn him from a proud new father to a distant, depressed man. When they did speak, it descended into a fight and it reached and point where Kelly had had enough.

"Something just clicked in him." Kelly mumbled. "He got so distant, the only people he paid attention to were the twins and I just couldn't take it anymore. After an explosive fight—and by fight, I mean me_ screaming_ at him looking for answers and him saying _nothing_, I told him if he wasn't going to talk to me then he could go... and he did." she said with a gulp. When she gave him that ultimatum, she really didn't expect him to follow through with it. They had gone from 100 to 0 so fast it almost felt like it wasn't real. All of a sudden, she was on her own and Dylan was nowhere to be found—with _no_ explanation. "I've seen him twice in the past two months" Kelly said as Brandon lifted Tommy out of his car seat.

"Something tells me he wouldn't just abandon these two... though it is amazing that he hasn't seen you and no one has any idea what's going on." Brandon said. If anyone other than Kelly would know, it would be him, but he truly had no idea.

"I know, the _nurses_ of all people told me he was going to Baja this week" Kelly said with an eyeroll.

Brandon frowned and rubbed her shoulder, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I just—this wasn't exactly the start to parenthood we had envisioned. I managed to lose my boyfriend, my partner... and my best friend all at once." she said sadly before looking up at Brandon. "At least ending things with Dylan meant things fell into place with you."

Once Dylan had disappeared, Brandon really stepped up for Kelly. His feelings hadn't gone away since the weekend they spent together and they were only amplified over the summer. Eventually, Kelly began to reciprocate those feelings and they started dating. Kelly was adamant to those around her, however, that he wasn't a replacement for Dylan, not to her nor to the twins, but things were going well and she really loved his company. Their lives slipped in nicely together and it felt good and easy and right now that was all she wanted.

* * *

After checking everything was ok with Mollie, Kelly made a quick trip home to get ready for the BBQ that evening. When she got there, she found Donna had returned from her summer away. She was so, so glad to see her best friend. She showed her all the pictures she had taken of Tommy and Mollie since she had been away and Donna couldn't get over how big they were, nor how beautiful they were. They almost didn't look real they were so cute, but Donna knew not to expect anything less from the children of Dylan and Kelly— they were West Bev's most beautiful couple after all.

Donna had also heard about Dylan's disappearing act and Kelly's newfound relationship with Brandon. To say she was shocked would have been an understatement. Everyone was convinced Dylan and Kelly would be together forever. It was a huge knock and no one really knew how to handle it. Donna cautiously asked her about it but Kelly didn't say much. In all honesty, she didn't have a lot to say because there was so much she didn't know. She didn't know why Dylan acted the way he did, she didn't know why he refused to speak to her and something told her she never would.

_"Do you miss him?"_ Donna had asked quietly, though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

Kelly nodded,_ "With all my heart."_

With an answer like that, Donna was surprised Brandon wanted to insert himself into this situation, but then she saw the way he looked at her and she understood. He really was in love with her and he really made her smile. Kelly needed that in her life and she really believed he was good for her.

* * *

After talking with Donna, Kelly left Tommy with the Walshes while she went to the NICU to pick up Mollie. She'd left Dylan a message on his answering machine about Mollie's second graduation day, but she had no clue if he'd got it. She hung up the phone in the hospital and walked the short distance into the NICU. When she opened the door she froze and her mouth fell open. Dylan was standing there, holding Mollie and delicately rubbing his finger down her nose to sooth her to sleep. She loved it when her parents did that.

"Hi" Kelly said softly as Dylan looked up and gulped.

"... hi" he replied just as quietly.

"I didn't expect to see you here" she said as she kept her distance. She feared if she got too close to him she might break.

"It's graduation day. Where else would I be?" he asked. The fact that he knew it was graduation day would suggest that he'd been around a lot more she knew.

"What have you been doing the past two months?" Kelly asked, desperate for some answers.

Dylan shrugged, "I've been around."

"I thought you were in Baja."

"Not anymore. Where's Tommy?" he asked, expecting to see him here for his sister's homecoming.

"He's with the Walshes, we're heading to a BBQ at their house." Kelly informed him.

Dylan frowned, "Shouldn't you get Mollie settled at home first?" he asked cautiously. This was a big day, he didn't want anything to upset her.

"She'll be fine Dylan." Kelly assured him as she finally took a step forward. "Are you going to come?" she asked hopefully.

"No, I think I'll pass." he said quickly.

"Dylan-" Kelly began to protest. She wanted him there more than anything. Well, that wasn't entirely true. She wanted answers more than anything. She wanted to know how she could lose the most important person in her life in the blink of an eye.

"I don't want to talk Kel." he said as he placed a lingering kiss on Mollie's head before handing her over to Kelly. "I'll see you around." he said, far too casually for Kelly's liking before disappearing from the NICU once more.

* * *

Ever since her run in with Dylan, Kelly had been incredibly high strung. She flinched any time someone touched her and she was constantly spacing out in conversations. She just couldn't get her mind off him. She'd noticed that he was looking a little more rugged. He was rocking some stubble and he'd grown his hair out a little bit. Kelly always did like his hair when it was a little longer.

Kelly didn't think much of his appearance compared to his distant behaviour—but Jim and Cindy did. When they saw him at the pit a week or so later, they could tell there was a lot more going on than just a more rugged demeanor. Dylan could also hear them whispering in the corner about him—while Mollie and Tommy lay in their pram beside them. Kelly had obviously enlisted them in a spot of babysitting so she could go to Felice Martin's fundraiser.

"Hey, if you have something to say about me, say it to my face." Dylan finally snapped after spying Jim and Cindy's talking.

"We weren't talking about you Dylan and if it seemed that way, we apologise." Cindy said politely, but Jim was in no mood to pander to him.

"We don't owe him anything Cindy." Jim said through his teeth as Dylan narrowed his eyes.

"Oh yeah? You're sitting in _my_ booth, in _my_ restaurant... with _my_ kids." he replied as he looked down at the babies and gulped. _How could something so pure and innocent have a father like him?_ He thought. He certainly didn't deserve them and they deserved better than the state he was in—though a part of him was too stubborn to admit that.

"I wouldn't be sitting here with your kids if you could man up and take some responsibility for them." Jim challenged. "What happened to you Dylan? You were so excited to be a father. Now you can barely even look at them." he said as Dylan tried to hold it together.

"Yeah..." he grumbled, feeling himself get angrier. He could barely look at them right now because he was _ashamed._ He was ashamed of what he let happen.

He let Kevin and Suzanne steal _all_ of his money and disappear. He was_ ruined_ and no one had any clue. He was so desperate to cling on to whatever family he could, he failed to see what was right infront of his eyes. He'd failed to believe the one person he trusted more than anything in this world.

However, Jim and Cindy and everyone else also had zero clue about what kind of father he had been over the past few months.

"I guess all that time I spent in the NICU over the past three months means nothing." Dylan told Jim as he and Cindy looked surprised. He'd really been at the NICU? From what they heard, he was nowhere to be found, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. Dylan was there every single night without fail. He managed to convince the nurses to let him sleep in the chair in between their incubators. When they were well enough to be held, he often rocked them to sleep and he was the one who comforted them when they woke up at 3am. He was there for _all_ of it.

"Maybe if Kelly had bothered to call me and tell me she needed me I would be looking after them." Dylan added at the end.

"You are clearly in no state to look after them." Jim said. He could smell the alcohol on his breath from here. No matter how Dylan tried to spin this he wasn't in a good place and he needed to sort himself out before he could even try and parent them properly.

* * *

As Dylan left the Pit he was struck with the news that Kelly had been seeing Brandon for the past little while. He was _furious_ when the news reached him._ Seriously?_ His best friend jumped straight in there as soon as he was gone. It was like some sort of stupid _joke_. He stormed round to the fundraiser and confronted them, but they really had nothing to say about it. Dylan could see the guilt all over Kelly's face, however. She looked like she was about to cry.

He'd seen enough after he spotted them kissing and stormed out after making a scene. Kelly wasn't about to leave it there though. She thought about what she would say to him for a little while before going round to his house. When he opened the door, she was stunned to hear giggling coming from the living room. She pushed past him in his drunken state and found a random woman sitting on the coffee table.

"Everly, this is Kelly." Dylan introduced.

"You didn't tell me you were married" Everly commented, not really bothered by the fact, but just making an observation.

Dylan wrapped his arm around Everly's waist, "Nope... she's just my baby momma" he said as she kissed her neck.

Kelly posture stiffened as she felt the fury and heartbreak boil up inside her. "Oh, so, you remembered your babies?"

"What do you want Kel? You want to sit down and have a quick coffee? What good is that going to do?" he challenged.

Everly shook her head, "No good at all, but what_ is_ good is_ body shots_" she said as Dylan immediately took one from her cleavage.

Kelly felt her eyes fill with tears, "Are we _even_ yet?" she challenged as she crossed her arms over her body. Was this some kind of revenge for her being with Brandon? "I cannot _believe_ I came here to _apologise_ to you." she said as she shook her head and tried to keep it together.

Dylan scoffed, "You _really_ think I believe you came to some guy's house at 2am to _apologise_?" he joked.

_Some guy?_ Is that really what he thought he was to her? Just some guy? Kelly wasn't going to do this anymore. He wasn't worth her breath. "You can think twice before you come knocking on my door expecting to see the twins."

"You can't keep my kids from me."

_"Watch me!"_ Kelly exclaimed as she stormed out the door, but Dylan was quick on her tail.

He pulled her back and cornered her against the outside wall. She pushed his chest, "Get your hands _off_ me."

Dylan hovered his hands above her shoulders and against the wall. "Is this part of the tough love act you're always so keen on pulling with me?"

"This isn't even about you anymore, though you're far too selfish to realise that. I am such an _idiot_ for thinking that you could be responsible enough to be a decent father." she said through her teeth.

"You don't know _anything_ about my abilities to be a good father!" he challenged.

"Then where the _hell_ have you been for the past _month_?!"

"Sitting by their sides every night in the NICU!" he shouted back as Kelly quietened down in disbelief.

_"What?"_

"You don't know what I've been doing and you probably don't care because it hadn't involved paying attention to you." he spat. It was as if he was deliberately trying to push her away and, in a way, maybe he was. He felt like she deserved better than him and this was the easy way to express that.

_"Go to hell_." Kelly said as she shoved him again.

Dylan scoffed, "Oh I'm on the fast track to getting there." he replied.

"That much is clear!"

Kelly tried to move away again but Dylan pulled her back and stepped even closer towards her, causing her breath to catch in her throat as his nose brushed against hers and he ran his thumb over her cheek, keeping his other hand positioned above her shoulder. She hated the smell of alcohol on his breath. She hated the smell of Everly's perfume on his body. She hated how horrible he was being right now but my _God_ she still craved him with every part of her body. She felt her body pulling towards him almost involuntarily. He was her drug and she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to quit him. It was taking all the will power in the world to not let him take her there and then.

"What happened to us Kel?" he asked quietly as Kelly fought her tears.

"You tell me. All I remember is you telling me how much you loved me and how excited you were to have a family and then—something clicked. Something shifted and I have no idea what. I don't understand how we could go from being so solid and so secure to being _nothing_. It doesn't make any sense. It has been eating me up ever since and I'll probably never know the truth, will I?"

Dylan didn't know what to say. He just couldn't tell her the truth. How could he tell her that he had been so stupid? How could he tell her that she had been right all along? How could she still love him when she found out?

"Just answer me one question..." he said, avoiding giving her answers yet again. "Why him? Of all the people in the world... _why him?_" he asked, the hurt evident in his voice. Brandon Walsh seemed like the perfect guy. He seemed to be everything Dylan wasn't and it hurt that Kelly turned to him. She turned to Mr Perfect when Dylan wasn't enough.

"Because he would never hurt me like you have." she said through her teeth before Dylan dipped his head and dragged his lips delicately along her neck.

"You really think he knows your body like I do?" he asked deeply.

His lips continued to hover over her neck and her clavicle as she fought from losing herself to him. Even his breaths against her skin made her feel like her body was on fire. She was getting more and more riled up by the second but she was determined to stay firm.

"You really think a relationship is all about sex?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah, we have a lot of sex" he said as he looked up and smirked at her. _"Stupidly good, toe curling sex_ but we only crave that physical intimacy because words are never enough to describe _exactly_ how we feel about each other. He doesn't know your body like I do... but he also doesn't know your _heart_ or your _mind_ or your _soul_ like I do." he said seductively.

Kelly was about to protest, but Dylan swooped down and kissed her. She resisted him at first but then she just couldn't. She let him slip his tongue into her mouth and they devoured each other. It had been a long time since she had been kissed with such fervor and _passion._ She felt such a range of emotions in that kiss. She felt like they were made for each other yet they also had the power to destroy one another.

As soon as Kelly felt Dylan's hands travel down her body, she came to her sense and pushed him away, holding him at arm's length while she caught her breath.

"I'm glad we cleared that up." Dylan said.

Kelly glared, "Cleared what up?"

"That when you're with him, you're thinking of me." he said with great arrogance.

_"Screw you."_

"You've done that plenty." he shot back without missing a beat.

Kelly pushed him away from her before swiftly leaving him standing on the porch, her lips still burning with temptation and desire.

* * *

Kelly decided to keep the kiss a secret from Brandon. There was no need in her mind to talk about it. Dylan had riled her up, it was stupid and a heat of the moment thing. She did, however, tell him what he said to her at the house and how he hadn't been anything remotely familiar to the Dylan she knew and loved.

So Brandon took it upon himself to go to Dylan's and try and get through to him.

"You can't treat Kelly like you did last night Dylan." Brandon began, but he knew he was going to have to go harder than pull the Kelly card on him. He was going to have to bring the twins into it. "9 months ago you made a promise. You promised to be a good and loving father. Look at those bassinets you were making" Brandon said as he pointed to the broken pieces of wood in the living room. After he made the cribs, Dylan started to make something they could use in the living room too, but in a moment of anger and frustration he'd smashed them to pieces. "You have something great sitting right at your feet Dylan, so whatever issues you have with me and Kelly you have got to get over it. For _them_." he made clear.

Dylan sulked down on the sofa, not prepared to give Brandon the time of day right now. He could be so self-righteous when he wanted to be and Dylan hated nothing more. "Why don't you write something up for me and I'll sign it?" he mocked.

"Hey, we are going to clear this up." Brandon said sternly. He wasn't prepared to leave until he made Dylan see sense.

"Ok, clear this up for me—why did you come over here the other day?" he asked, referring to Brandon's visit a few days ago. "You didn't even have the_ guts_ to tell me the truth."

Brandon had come over to tell him what was going on, but he just couldn't do it—not when he saw the state that Dylan had gotten himself in.

"You were drinking-"

"You still_ lied_ to me." Dylan said through his teeth, clearly having no intentions of letting his anger go right now.

Brandon sighed and stood up, "If you have a problem with me, that's fine. But Kelly only came over here because she cares about you and wants you in your children's lives." Brandon made clear. If he couldn't get him to trust him again, the least he could do was fight on Kelly's behalf.

"That's funny because last night she said she was going to keep them far away from me. I'm sure you and her will be playing house just fine anyway." he said bitterly. The thought of his children calling Brandon dad made his blood boil.

"I will be there for your kids, but I will _not_ be their father. That'_s your_ job. You owe Kelly an apology." Brandon made clear before leaving Dylan's house and hoping something stuck.

* * *

It didn't take long for Dylan to realise that Brandon was right and he owed Kelly an apology over how he treated her last night. What did surprise him, however, was that Brandon made no mention to the kiss that took place. He figured Kelly must have kept that one to herself. Dylan could only draw the conclusion that it meant a lot more to her than she was letting on. If it meant nothing, why not tell Brandon?

Dylan sobered up and showered and made his way round to Kelly's apartment where Donna answered the door.

"Hey Dylan" she greeted a little solemnly. He figured she'd probably heard about last night too.

"Hey... is Kelly here?"

"No, she just left for registration... the twins are here though with the nanny" Donna said as she let Dylan in. Kelly had hired a lady named Rose who had looked after her when she was little and Kelly trusted her implicitly.

"Right..." Dylan said awkwardly. "I came here to apologise but I uh—I think I also owe you an apology."

Donna frowned, "What for?"

"For storming into your party like that and causing a scene. I know it was important to you and I should have thought-"

"There's no need to apologise. I know what it's like to see someone you love with someone else." Donna said with a sad smile as Dylan gave her a knowing nod. "But if you're still feeling remorseful there is one way you can make it up to me..." she said as Dylan raised an eyebrow. "You can come with me to registration."

_College._ Dylan had completely forgotten about college. Not that it mattered—he didn't have the means to pay for it anymore. So no, he wouldn't be going to registration.

"I'll meet you there" Dylan lied. "There are two babies I gotta see about something first" he joked as Donna smiled.

"Of course. Come on, I'll introduce you to Rose" she said as she and Dylan went into the twins' room. "Rose this is Dylan" Donna introduced.

Rose smiled, "Ah, the famous Dylan. It's nice to finally meet you." she said sincerely as she shook Dylan's hand.

"Yeah, you too."

"I was just getting these two settled for a little morning nap." she said as she nodded to where the twins were lying in their cribs.

"I'll see you later Dylan" Donna said as she moved to the door, not wanting to be late.

"Donna, wait" Dylan called as they went into the hallway.

"Yeah?"

"... does she love him?" Dylan asked quietly as Donna could see the pain on his face.

"Yeah... but not like she loves you." Donna replied honestly. It was abundantly clear too, the only people oblivious to it were Kelly and Brandon.

Dylan nodded his head, not really sure what else he could say to that. He made his way back into Mollie and Tommy's room and walked over to the cribs. He lifted Mollie up and she immediately gave him a gummy smile and snuggled her head closer into his chest. He sat in the rocking chair in the corner of the room and gazed upon his daughter. Her blonde hair was already starting to curl at the ends and her eyes were the brightest shade of blue. Dylan knew that he would always be under this little girl's spell.

Rose walked back into the room with the twins' sleep suits and smiled at the scene in front of her, "Would you believe that she's now heavier than her brother?" she asked as Dylan smiled.

"After all she's been through? My girl's a champ." he said proudly.

"She's mesmerised by you." Rose observed as she lifted Tommy out of his crib.

"I used to visit her in the NICU every night and read to her." he told her.

"She must recognise your voice."

"Yeah, she must do..." Dylan looked up and saw Tommy in her arms. "I feel like I've barely spent any time with Tommy in comparison. Since he was taken home earlier after all..." he said guiltily.

"Well, now's your chance" she said as she walked forward and placed Tommy in his other arm and left the room.

This was the first time that Dylan had held them together since they were really tiny. Now they were proper babies and it was just the most wonderful feeling. This is how it was supposed to feel. Not the fear and the worry- just the sheer joy.

"Hey twinnies..." he said down to them as they gazed up at him. Tommy's eyes matched Mollie's but his hair was straighter and already a little darker than hers. It was safe to say that Mollie would turn out to be a carbon copy of Kelly and Tommy a carbon copy of Dylan.

"Daddy's here... _always._"

* * *

_I love an intense fight scene... let me know what you though__t. Hopefully you're not really mad..._


	31. The Love We Deserve

_For some reason, the site is telling me i have reviews from the last chapter but i can't see them... if any one knows why this is or has any ideas how i can fix it let me know! Feel free to pm me too with what the reviews said because i really want to read them_. _Hopefully I'll be able to see them along with your views for this chapter soon. _

_One of my favourite moments in the whole story is in this chapter.__Hopefully you guys will be able to tell what it is..._

_I hope you enjoy it._

* * *

Chapter Thirty-One- The Love We Deserve

Since her bust up with Dylan, Kelly really had no clue what to do about the situation. He eventually did get around to apologising to her, but he was also quick to start avoiding her again. He only ever really engaged with her when it concerned the twins but that was it. It was driving her a little crazy, but at the same time, she was more than grateful when he rocked up at her door just as the twins started screaming. He was often the only one who could sooth them, in particular, Mollie. They formed a real bond when she was in the NICU. Kelly figured Dylan must have been telling the truth about his constant overnight visits.

Kelly did, however, feel like his parenting could be a bit sporadic. He only seemed to come by when it suit him and it felt like he was almost distancing himself from them. Kelly knew there was more to this than a worried parent but she just couldn't put her finger on what. Since he'd also started drinking again, maybe it was best that he stayed away.

When the twins hit 4 months old, Kelly took then to the Pit one afternoon. She pushed the pram to the counter to order and was surprised to see Dylan sitting at one of the tables looking relatively refreshed.

"Nice to see you back among the living" she sarked as he drunk his coffee.

"If this is living, it's way over rated..." he grumbled.

"You haven't been round to the apartment in a while." Kelly observed. It had been a little over a week since she had last seen him.

"I was there a few nights ago when you and Brandon were out." he told her. Donna had happily let him in (when she sussed out that he hadn't been drinking).

Kelly sighed, "I really wish you'd tell me when you call over." she wanted to see him just as much as the twins did, but she would never admit that.

Dylan stood up, "I don't really want to bother you."

He took a few steps towards her and looked in the pram to see Mollie and Tommy fast asleep beside each other. For being 4 months old, they looked like new-born babies, but the doctor was adamant that they were growing—it was just going to take some time since they were premature.

"They get cuter everyday" Dylan commented as he smoothly ran his finger over Tommy's rounded cheek.

"You should come over and take them out some time." Kelly told him. She hoped that if she maybe showed Dylan she trusted him, he would step up a little more and realise that he could do this. _She_ knew he could do this, he was just going through something.

"You'd really trust me with them?" he asked, surprised that she wasn't going through him over his lack of parenting.

"Yeah. You're their dad. I know you'd do anything to protect them." she said with certainty as Dylan nodded his head in agreement. He would do absolutely anything for them, he loved them with every fibre of his being—he just thought they deserved better than him and it was seriously affecting his confidence. "I took the twins to Minnesota a couple of weekends ago." Kelly told him.

"Yeah, I heard" he mumbled. He wasn't all that pleased to hear about Kelly and Brandon's family vacation with his kids.

"I picked up a native American flute for Erica" Kelly told him as Dylan's heart started beating faster. _Erica_—the little sister that was all part of a great_ scam._ He didn't blame her, she was just a kid after all, but it still hurt to think about her and what her mother and step-father did. "I couldn't help myself" Kelly said with a friendly laugh. "I remembered how much she loved music. If I drop it off do you think you can get it to her?"

Dylan nodded his head, "Yeah. She'd really like that."

"How are Suzanne and Kevin doing in Arizona?" Kelly asked, not realising how much of a triggering point this was for Dylan.

"How do you think they're doing?" Dylan asked back as Kelly raised an eyebrow.

She rolled her eyes, "You know, you can say I told you so." As far as she was aware, Kevin's company was thriving and all because of Dylan's smart investment.

"I'll let you off the hook this time" he said just as Valerie Malone walked into the Pit.

"Hey Kel" she greeted with a smile before looking into the pram. "Oh, hi twinnies... you two are just gorgeous!" she said with a little squeal. "They are so like you Kelly."

"I don't know, they've already started to master Dylan's smoulder..." she said as she smirked at Dylan who couldn't help but smirk back.

"A perfect combination of the two." Valerie said with a little laugh. "I'll leave you guys to it. See you around!" she said before leaving.

"So, what do you think of Valerie?" Kelly asked curiously. She seemed like a nice girl, but there was just something about her that really set Kelly on edge and she couldn't put her finger on what.

Dylan shrugged, "I don't know her very well."

_Lie._ Dylan knew her in a lot more ways than he was letting on. He'd met her at a bar, didn't know who she was, slept with her, found out who she was, told her to stay away from him, but all in all—he just _couldn't_ resist her. Something just kept drawing him back in. Probably the fact that she was good at numbing his pain for the briefest of moments and that she wasn't _blonde_.

"Right..." Kelly said, not really that surprised by Dylan's chill attitude towards the newbie. "Well, we better get going." she said as she looked down at the babies who has started to wake up. "Say bye to daddy twinnies" she said before leaving the Pit and Dylan behind her.

* * *

Kelly had hoped that things would start to turn around for Dylan as time went on, but it was proving more and more unlikely as they days went by. Dylan continued to distance himself and he continued drinking and Kelly felt _completely_ lost. Normally she would be straight in there to help him, but she felt like it wasn't her place anymore. It wasn't until Valerie called her out on everything that she started to feel differently.

_"Brandon told me that your baby daddy is in AA so maybe you should get off your pedestal and help him."_

Kelly felt like such a fool in that moment. Initially, she was angry and _seethingly_ jealous that she had caught Dylan and Valerie together in the store room, but now she was ashamed of herself. She realised just how selfish she had been. She was so consumed with how she was feeling that she didn't even register that Dylan's drinking habit didn't come from nothing. His distant behaviour didn't come from nothing and she didn't bother prying to find out the truth.

There was also the fact that they had made a pact. No matter what they would _always_ be there for one another. Who was she to turn away from him now? No matter what they were to one another, no matter all that they had been through, Kelly still loved him deeply and she knew she probably always would. His love was embedded in her _soul_ and it would always stay there.

She figured taking on this task by herself was foolish so she went for a group intervention approach. She gathered everyone at the Walsh house, she hired a professional and she was determined to get him clean.

Everyone said their piece to Dylan while Kelly stood quietly in the corner. He seemed quite reluctant to listen to what anyone had to say. When they all finished, Dylan turned to Kelly who was looking at him with deep sadness in her eyes.

"I suppose you were dragged here against your will?" He said with a gulp. It was as if he was struggling to be standing in front of her. He was struggling having her seeing him like this, so he tried to get defensive and push her away.

Kelly shook her head, "No." she simply said.

_"No?_" He questioned as Kelly remained silent.

Brandon cleared his throat, "Kelly is the one who gathered us all here Dylan. She set this up. She wants to help you."

Dylan nodded his head and clicked his tongue, "You want to help me... yet you're being awfully _quiet_ Kel. Or is this part of your famous tough love approach?"

Kelly glared at him, "If I remember correctly _you_ were the one who taught me the famous tough love philosophy." she replied.

Everyone sat awkwardly around them not really knowing what to do. They hated the deafening silence that was filling the room. Kelly and Dylan were looking at each other as if there was no one else in the world let alone in the same room as them. It was that same stare they had always had when they saw each other. It was one of deep intensity and longing.

"Maybe so, but you were a keen practitioner of it." he replied as Kelly remained silent and simply looked at her feet. Dylan scoffed, "Do you really have _nothing_ else to say Kelly? That certainly is a first."

"I just don't know where to start." she replied as she looked up and crossed her arms over her chest.

Dylan shook his head, "don't pretend like you care now."

"That's not fair-"

"You ran off with my best friend so you don't get to talk about fair!" Dylan said as he started to raise his voice and everyone sunk in their seats.

"You were the one who walked out on me Dylan, don't forget that!" Kelly challenged back. She wasn't about to let him walk all over her.

"You were the one who gave me an ultimatum."

"But the choice was still _yours!"_ she said as she finally silenced him. "The choice was yours not to talk to me about what was going on with you and the choice was yours to take a drink so take some goddamn responsibility Dylan. Yeah, I moved on—but can you _blame_ me?"

Dylan fell silent knowing he was fighting a battle he could not win. A battle that he was wrong about. Kelly found some courage within herself to walk towards him. Everyone felt like this was a conversation they shouldn't be here for, but where else where they to go?

"Dylan, god knows the time we spent together wasn't the easiest. But you were my best friend and my love all at once." she began as Dylan looked at his feet. Kelly gulped, knowing that what she wanted to say next could cause problems, but she _had_ to say it. She had to speak from her heart. "It was also the most passionate and real thing I have ever had in my life. So passionate that we made two babies together." she said with a little laugh of happiness. How could she not be filled with joy when she thought of them?

Dylan immediately started tearing up at the mention of his children. His children that he had avoided because he thought they deserved better. He thought they were better off without a father who would gamble away his future on a man he barely knew. A man who could toss away his relationship with their mother because he feared all he would ever end up doing was disappoint her.

Dylan shook his head and looked at Kelly, pleading to her with his eyes. Pleading that she realised this wasn't him. This wasn't the man she was passionately in love with. That she realised he loved her and their children immensely.

"Kelly-" he began as Kelly could see how choked up he was about the whole thing. She closed the gap between them and held his face in her hands.

"You have _got_ to start taking some responsibility Dylan. I do not want my babies to grow up without a father and I know you're a pretty damn good one. You know... I was reading through the letters you wrote me." she began as everyone looked a little confused. Everyone but Donna. She knew all about Kelly's little box of love letters that she kept under her bed and lifted out every now and again when she was feeling terrible and lost and heart broken. "I read the first one you ever gave me. You slipped it under my door just before you left for that ranch in senior year. You promised me that you would stay safe and that you would come back in one piece. Don't break your promise." she said as she felt her own voice starting to crack. "I don't care what you think you have done or how you've gotten here. Just—_don't break your promise_. You didn't back then so something tells me you won't now." she said confidently as she wiped away a stray tear that fell down Dylan's cheek with her thumb. "Please go and get help and come back to me—to_ us_-" she quickly corrected as she looked around the room. "- in one piece. _We need you_."

"What did I do to deserve being loved by you?" he asked in a whisper.

Kelly let out a breathy momentary laugh; "You were just _you._" she said simply, but the words meant everything to him.

* * *

After making sure Dylan got to his rehab facility safely, Kelly sat on her porch that evening, tossing the baby monitor through her hands. Dylan hadn't left her mind since she'd left him in rehab. She now knew the truth about everything. She knew about how Suzanne and Kevin scammed him and it sent him down a dark path. She finally understood his behaviour. He was ashamed and humiliated that he'd put his trust in someone only to have it ripped away. He had never been one to trust easily and she couldn't see any scenario where he would be keen to trust now.

She also began to realise why he pushed her and their children away. He thought they deserved better. He didn't want to let them down and thought this would be easier in the long run. It hurt Kelly more than she could express that he felt he couldn't confide in her. That he thought she would be better off without him. Considering the way she was feeling right now and the fact that Dylan was in rehab—that couldn't be further than the truth. They were their best selves when they were together. They _needed_ each other.

Then there was Brandon. Sweet, caring, understanding Brandon. Kelly's feelings for him were still very much there. He was so good to her and really brought out the best in her. He saw the good in her and pushed her to be just that._ Good_. Life with him was... _easy_. He was helping her grow up and she was so grateful to have him.

"You know..." she heard a voice say as she looked up and saw Brandon walking towards her. "When Dylan started going down his dark and twisty path, my first thought was that you were the only person who could bring him out of it and make him see sense... and I was right." he said as he sat beside her.

Kelly looked back at the baby monitor, "I guess I just understand him." she merely replied.

"Yeah. Better than anyone."

Kelly let them sit in silence as she worked out what to say to him. She knew he was probably mad at what she said to Dylan, so she had to tread carefully. "Dylan means a lot to me and he always will. I'm not going to sit here and pretend that that isn't the case. We're always going to be family." Kelly made clear as Brandon nodded his head, "But what I said to him today doesn't change how I feel about you. You are keeping me afloat Brandon. You are pushing me to be better and I am so grateful for you and I do love you."

"I know you do" Brandon confirmed much to her surprise. "Dylan is always going to be someone very special to you and that is ok. I would never want to take that away from you."

Kelly smiled softly, "What did I do to deserve someone so understanding in my life?"

"... you were just _you_." Brandon said, repeating her words to Dylan earlier. "Now that Dylan is getting the help that he needs, we can focus on us and you can focus on Mollie and Tommy and get everything back to normal."

"Yeah, we can." Kelly said as she held on to Brandon's hand, hoping and praying that everyone would work itself out.

* * *

Dylan's stint in rehab was short lived when he busted out with the help of Valerie. He was completely tortured inside. Kelly and what she did for him were constantly on his mind, fighting him to stay, but his body (and admittedly his self-destructive tendencies that he couldn't escape from) were telling him a different thing. So he left, got a hold of some heroin, smoked it and crashed his car over a cliff.

When Kelly heard what had happened, she rushed to the hospital and refused to leave him until he woke up from his coma. She felt her whole world stop and she had no clue what she would do if she lost him. Valerie had already been at the hospital when Kelly burst through the door and straight into Dylan's room despite protests from the people around her. Valerie watched Kelly as she sat on the edge of Dylan's bed and held onto his hand.

_"Kelly still loves him... doesn't she?"_ Valerie asked as David came up behind her.

David nodded, _"There are very few certainties in life. We all have to pay taxes, we're all going to die... and Dylan McKay and Kelly Taylor will always be madly in love with each other."_

It wasn't that no one believed in what Kelly and Brandon had, but they all knew better than to think what Dylan and Kelly had could be so easily brushed under the rug. The kind of love they had was the kind that never died.

For the rest of the day Kelly sat not so patiently in the corner of Dylan's room. Other people came and went and when people told her to go home and rest, she just _couldn't._ That was until Iris McKay walked through the door.

"Iris?" Kelly questioned as she stood from the chair, not expecting to see Dylan's mother here.

Iris looked just as surprised to see Kelly there too. "Kelly. Hi." she said as they pair rushed towards each other and hugged. Kelly finally let a few tears escape as Iris held her. They had never been close, but over the years they had grown a mutual respect and appreciation for one another and they were thankful to see each other.

"I didn't realise you were coming" Kelly said as they broke apart.

"The hospital called, I came as soon as I could... have you been here the whole time?" Iris asked. The last she heard Kelly could barely _look_ at Dylan let alone sit by his bedside.

Kelly gulped and nodded his head, "Yeah. There is nowhere else I could have been."

"He'll be glad to see you." Iris said, trying to comfort the girl as best she could.

Kelly shook his head, "I helped him too late Iris. He was too far gone because I was so _selfish_ and consumed with my own problems-"

"Dylan is his own man Kelly. If he is going to take a drink or do drugs that is on him and no one else." Iris assured her firmly. "The fact that you got him help at all after how he treated you is admirable."

"He is such a _bastard._" Kelly suddenly said angrily. She wasn't angry right now at how he treated her. She was angry about how he treated _himself_. She was angry that he was so careless with his life when he had so much to live for.

Iris let out a laugh as she rubbed Kelly's shoulder. "Listen, he could be like this for another while... why don't you go home and see those babies of yours and get some rest."

"I don't know-"

"I insist. I promise to call you if anything happens." Iris insisted. She could see how drained Kelly was.

Kelly eventually nodded her head and lifted her jacket, "I'm really glad you're here Iris."

"I'm glad _you're_ here." she replied as Kelly smiled softly and left the room.

* * *

A few hours later, Dylan woke up from his coma with a fright. He was astoundingly alert and looked like he was ready to jump out of bed.

_"Dylan"_ Iris said quickly as she rushed towards him.

"The twins" Dylan said immediately as he looked all around him in confusion.

"The twins? What about them?" Iris asked, concerned over how distressed Dylan looked.

"I had a dream, Kelly was in pain, they were crying, there was so much blood and I couldn't find them-" he said quickly and desperately. Iris nodded, realising why Dylan had woken up. He had woken up because of his children. His protective instincts had surfaced and he was desperate to save them.

"They're all ok Dylan, Kelly has them at home, they are perfectly safe." Iris said as she managed to calm him down and slow his breathing.

"... they're ok." Dylan repeated quietly.

Iris nodded, "They're ok... and something tells me they brought you back to us." she said with a smile as she continually ran her hand over his head.

"Where's Kelly?" Dylan asked. Besides Mollie and Tommy, she was the one person he wanted to see more than anything.

"I finally convinced her to go home and get some rest... she's been sitting by your beside this whole time." Iris told him as Dylan looked at her surprised. She really stayed with him the whole time? After everything he did? "She did call you a bastard however."

Dylan let out a laugh, "understandably so..."

* * *

The following day, after Dylan was more rested and lucid, Iris was already planning his departure from here.

"The twins miss you terribly Dylan." Iris told him. She had been to see them the previous evening and couldn't believe how big they were getting. She also appreciated that Kelly had photos of Dylan all over their bedroom to ensure he wouldn't go forgotten. "We have to get you up and out of here as soon as possible to see them-"

Dylan shook his head and scoffed, "How can they miss me? The barely know me."

Iris helped Dylan sit up before she sat on the edge of his bed. "They know who their father is. You spent every day with them in the NICU and they can sense that you've been absent for the past two months. Babies are a lot more intuitive than people give them credit for and I sense yours are the most intuitive at all."

Dylan held back an eyeroll at Iris' psycho mumbo jumbo.

"I don't want to see them mom" he said quietly as Iris frowned.

"Dylan-"

"Not when I'm like this." he clarified as Iris let out a breath. She panicked that he had decided to completely give up on them. "They deserve better than me like this so until I'm better—I don't want to see them because they shouldn't see me."

Iris nodded. She wasn't sure she agreed with that philosophy, but who was she to say otherwise? She could tell that whatever Dylan dreamed about had really set him on edge and that this time he was determined to make things better. He was determined to be a good father and if this was how he wanted to do it then she went along with it.

"Ok. If you're sure." she told him.

"9 months ago I was ready to be a dad and then I flaked in a classic Dylan McKay move but... once I get out of here, I'm going to be the best dad I can be. They deserve that and more."

"I'm so glad to hear that Dylan. Mollie and Tommy are lucky to have you and I promise you they will always know that." Iris assured him with all her heart.


	32. Fix You

_I'm finally able to see your reviews!! As usual-- they were great. It's so cool seeing you all so invested in what's going on, so keep them coming!!__A few things I wanted to note:__1) A few of you have mentioned that Brenda just kind of disappears and you are so right lol I kind of forgot about her... i was so wrapped up in DK!! So, if I get a chance, I will try and address her departure more specificially, or even have her pop up again!__2) I wouldn't be the biggest BK fan either... I think in a few ways their relationship was important however. I think he helped Kelly grow up. But don't worry-- their relationship is not a focus or something that will last... this is a DK story through and through.__3) Tish-- my favourite part was indeed the intervention scene! It always kind of bugged me that Kelly didn't really do much... I think my favourite part is when Dylan asks when did I do to deserve being loved by you, and Kelly replies that he was just himself. Something so simple but so sweet._

_Dylan finally comes clean about everything he's been going through over the past few months_ in this chapter.

_Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Two- Fix You

It had been three weeks since Dylan's accident and Kelly couldn't sleep. She never got much sleep these days anyway with the twins, but tonight was particularly bad. She never could sleep when the Santa Anas were blowing so strongly. They just brought back too many memories.

Firstly, of her date with Dylan to the planetarium.

_"You know what sucks? You screw up a few times and that's who people think you are and all that you will ever be. Even when you try to do the right thing. It just makes you wonder if it's worth it, you know?"_

_"It's all worth it. Otherwise we wouldn't be here right now."_

Secondly, the night they resolved their issues after last thanksgiving. It was also the night Kelly was 99.9% Mollie and Tommy came into existence.

_"In the Middle East they have these winds called the Siroccos. They blow across the Northern dessert of Africa and while these winds are blowing, if you kill somebody, they won't even try to punish you."_

_"Kind of like temporary insanity."_

_"Like the heat of passion. It's like a full moon. Our bodies are filled with so much water and gravity starts pulling on us in ways we don't even realise... like a tide rising."_

A lot sure did change in a year. A huge part of her wished she could just turn back time to when everything felt so much simpler. After doing the 3am feedings, Kelly tried desperately to get some sleep, but she knew only one person could probably put her mind to rest—Dylan.

She'd hadn't been to see him since he went into rehab. She wanted to give him the space to get better, but the others had told her he was asking for her. She figured it was time to stop avoiding.

When she arrived at the centre the following morning and saw him, she felt so peaceful inside. She was taken aback by how good he looked. He looked more centred and put together and calm. He was starting to come out of the pit he had been carelessly thrown into.

She stood back and watched him laugh about something with two other men. She was glad that he could laugh after everything. He eventually walked away from them and stopped when he saw her watching him. He smiled lightly at her and she couldn't help but smile back. She was glad she was past the stage of wanting to cry whenever she saw him. They began walking towards each other again and once they reached each other, Kelly immediately wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him tightly.

"Hi McKay" she said softly as he breathed her in with a smile.

"Taylor" he replied as she let out a little laugh. She moved backwards a little so she could look at him, but he kept a firm hold of her waist. He wasn't ready to let her go just yet.

"I like whatever they're doing in here cause you look great" she said with a proud smile.

Dylan shrugged, "It's all the good food, long hours of drug free sleep, hell they even made me exercise. I fill my days and hours with it." he explained.

"It sounds like you're on the road back" she said as he released his hold on her and pulled her towards a nearby bench.

"We'll see..." he said as they sat down. "How are you the twins?" he asked as he ran his hand down the back of her hair before resting his arm behind her. He had been desperate to see them, but he stood by his desire not to have them visit him in a rehab facility—no matter how good he was doing, which was why Kelly didn't bring them.

"They're good." Kelly said with a proud smile. "Getting bigger every day"

"I wish I could see them" he mumbled as he looked into his lap.

Kelly squeezed his hand, "You will soon. They miss you."

Dylan wasn't sure he believed that, but he wasn't about to argue with Kelly over it. "I miss them too."

"I brought you some photos" she said as she reached into her bag and pulled out the envelope.

Dylan carefully looked through the photos and couldn't help but beam at them. They were smiling brightly in all of them.

"This one was taken just after Tommy rolled over for the first time" Kelly explained.

Dylan sniggered, "He looks so proud of himself and rightly so..."

"Mollie wasn't too far behind him. She was the baby who stayed upright by herself for the first time. She was also the first to sleep through the night which just made 3am feedings so much easier..." Kelly said with a little laugh.

"I've barely been gone and they look so much bigger" Dylan said sadly. He could see Mollie's hair had started to curl even more at the ends and Tommy's eyes were no longer a bright blue colour, but were beginning to turn more hazel like his. He hated that he was missing it all. He hated himself for it, but it just made him even more determined to fight his demons and get out of here. "So, what have you been up to?" he asked as he held tightly onto the photographs.

Kelly sighed, "If I tell you, you have to promise not to criticise..." she didn't doubt for one second that Dylan would tease her about this. There wasn't much in her life that Dylan _didn't_ tease her about and vice versa, though it was normally tongue and cheek.

Dylan held up his wrist, "Notice the charm bracelet. It means I don't have the right to criticise anybody."

"Ok... I've been doing some modelling... I may even have a cover of a magazine coming out soon." she told him.

"Wow" Dylan replied. He wasn't surprised that Kelly had gotten into modelling, she was the most beautiful person he knew and he didn't doubt for one second that her cover was stunning.

"I know you think it sounds silly and shallow-" Kelly began, but Dylan was swift to correct her.

"Did I say silly or shallow?" he questioned.

"No, but you were thinking it McKay, I know you-"

"Clearly you don't know be _that_ well..." he teased as he nudged her with his elbow. "I was thinking that you've come a long way from the girl who thought the only reason I fell in love with her was because she was voted most beautiful."

Kelly gulped, "Yeah, I guess I got past that." she said quietly. It was a momentary crisis of confidence and the moment Dylan handed her those letters in the playground, she never doubted his feelings again.

"Most beautiful or not—I would have fallen in love with you anyway Kel." he told her as he looked straight ahead and she looked at him sadly. She didn't like to think about the love that they lost. It didn't seem fair. "So... how's Brandon?" Dylan asked, not sure that he really wanted to know the answer.

"Good" Kelly simply replied.

"You seeing him?"

"... yeah."

Dylan nodded his head as they stayed silent for a few moments, not really sure where to go from here. Brandon wasn't exactly a topic they were keen to talk about with each other, but they knew they probably should.

"I'm not going to pretend it's easy." Dylan confessed. "It's not, but I've had a lot of time to think about it. It didn't take me long to realise that most of my problems started right when I lost you." he said as Kelly didn't know what to say. "I had the most perfect family coming my way and I took it for granted."

"We'll always be a family." Kelly said confidently and without a second thought. That was never ever going to change.

"Something tells me that my kids are going to prefer calling someone reliable like _Brandon_ daddy" Dylan said bitterly.

"I would _never_ let that happen." Kelly said firmly. No matter how strongly she felt about Brandon, she would never want that. Dylan was the only father she wanted her children to have.

"You might feel differently one day-"

Kelly immediately shook her head, "No, I really don't think I will. No matter what you are going through, no matter the pain that you are in—you will _always_ have a family to come home to and you will _always_ have two children to call yours. That is a _promise_."

Dylan nodded his head, appreciating Kelly's confidence and hoping that it wasn't misplaced. "I guess it's better that one of us is happy than both of us being miserable."

"Are you miserable?" she asked quietly.

"I was... but then you showed me these." he said as he held up the photos. "Now I'm just terrified."

"You and me both." Kelly confirmed as she rested her head on his shoulder, thankful that they could be open with one another.

* * *

A few weeks later, Christmas had arrived and Kelly was beyond excited for Mollie and Tommy's first Christmas. She had got them the cutest little elf outfits (that she knew they would probably resent her for when they grew up) and had planned the perfect day full of festivities and cheer. She knew they probably wouldn't remember any of this, but she had tasked David with recording the whole day so nobody forgot a thing about it.

Kelly also found herself reflecting a lot over the past year. So much had changed. This time last year, she had been vomiting in the toilet every half hour with no understanding as to why. Now, she was sitting with the two 6-month olds who had been causing her vomiting. She couldn't be more grateful for her twinnies. They were a real light in some dark days and a reminder that everything would be ok.

Kelly also naturally found herself thinking about Dylan. He had finally been released from rehab on Christmas eve and everyone was grateful that he was doing so well, but he was still keeping himself at a distance. Kelly knew it wasn't because he didn't want to spend the holidays with his family, but rather he felt like he didn't deserve to do that.

It didn't take long for Kelly determine that she didn't want that for any of them and she swiftly changed all her plans (much to Jackie's dismay. To say she had turned against Dylan would have been an understatement.) She briefly apologised to everyone—including a confused Brandon—and put the twins in her car and drove straight to Dylan's house. When she got there, she set the two car seats down at her feet before hesitantly knocking the door.

Dylan answered the door and was surprised to see her on the other side.

"Hi" he greeted.

"Hi" Kelly said as she rubbed her palms together awkwardly.

"What are you doing here? I thought you would be with Brandon." he said quietly.

"I was but uh—I don't want my babies' first Christmas to be without their dad and I didn't want your Christmas to be without them either." Kelly told him as Dylan looked down at her feet and saw the two babies looking up at him with wide and curious eyes. It was like they knew exactly who he was and were in wonder that he was standing in front of them.

"Come in" Dylan said as he moved out of the doorway and Kelly lifted the twins in.

Dylan closed the door and cautiously stood back, watching as Kelly set the seats on the floor. She turned around to look at him.

"You don't have to stand back there" she said with a little laugh.

Dylan laughed lightly and awkwardly, "I know, I just—I don't want to scare them, they probably don't remember be."

"There are pictures of you all over their room and I show them the pictures everyday. I didn't want them to forget you either." Kelly said as Mollie started to fuss in her seat.

Kelly turned around and picked her daughter up, "Hi baby..." she said as Mollie continued to whimper and squirm, "Oh don't you get fussy on me Mollie McKay..."

Mollie looked all around her and when she spotted Dylan she held out her chubby fist in his direction, "Dada" she babbled as Dylan looked surprised. Maybe all that time he spent in the NICU with her was etched in her brain.

Kelly stepped towards Dylan and handed Mollie to him. Dylan stared lovingly at her as she gave him a toothless smile. Kelly soon walked back with Tommy and handed him to Dylan as well. He couldn't quite believe that he was finally holding his babies after all this time. He teared up as they looked straight up at him, clearly at peace in their father's arms.

"You know..." Dylan began as he looked up at Kelly who had begun to tear up too. "I think this might be the best Christmas yet."

Kelly smiled widely, "I think you might be right."

* * *

After a healthy Christmas dinner of Chinese takeout, the twins were put down for a nap and Kelly and Dylan sat down to watch_ It's a Wonderful Life_. Since they were little, they always got together on either Boxing Day or the day after to watch the movie together. It was a time-honoured tradition that they were determined to keep up. Half way through the movie, they were interrupted by a mysterious man named Jonesy. He didn't stay for long, but Kelly was concerned about the hushed conversation they were having in the kitchen.

"What was that all about?" Kelly said as soon as Jonesy left.

"I uh—I'm working on getting my money and Erica back." he replied honestly. After all the lies he had told Kelly over the past few months, he knew better than to try that again.

"Really?" Kelly asked, a little concerned over what he was trying to do.

"Yeah. Jonesy is going to help" Dylan vaguely explained.

"Please be careful..." Kelly simply warned, knowing it was best not to get into a row over this.

"I will" he told her. Truthfully, he had no idea what was going to happen.

"Listen, Dylan, I think there's a lot we need to talk about..." Kelly suddenly blurted out. If they weren't going to fight over Dylan's heist plans, they were due to fight about the past 6 months.

"And you want to do it now...?" he asked as he checked in on the twins while they slept in their bassinets.

"While I remember what I want to say, yeah." Kelly said as Dylan nodded his head and waited for her to continue. "I think you can understand why I'm a little worried about you."

Dylan sighed and ran his hand through his hair. In all honesty, he was a little sick of her giving him the nth degree. "Kel-"

"Don't get pissy on me Dylan. This is a very reasonable thing for me to bring up." Kelly warned.

"I went through something, I screwed up, I got help. There doesn't need to be anymore to it and I certainly don't need you judging me." Dylan said defensively.

"I am not judging you, you are the one assuming that I am out to get you, you don't even know what I was going to say!" she fought back. Had he completely forgotten all she did and said to him at his intervention? She wasn't judging him, she just wanted to help him and that hadn't changed.

"Probably that you want to set up a camera so you can watch my every move when I'm with my kids..." Dylan grumbled.

Kelly raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms over her chest, "_Your_ kids? How about _our_ kids?"

"Whatever..." he grumbled again.

"God Dylan, you are so self-absorbed!" Kelly explained, completely exacerbated with him. "You can't even see that this is about the well being of your children!"

"You think I don't care about their well being? I sat with them every night when they were in the NICU praying that they would be ok._ I don't pray!_ Do you have any idea how many deals with God I made in those 3 months? I went through hell in all its various shapes and forms... but I would be damned if I let _them_ go through hell without their dad." Dylan fought back as Kelly started to calm down. She knew how much he loved them and she didn't want to diminish that.

"Dylan- maybe if you talked to me I could have helped you through this hell. Maybe we wouldn't be in this _mess!_" she reasoned. She hated what their relationship had become and right now, it felt like it was beyond fixable.

"I couldn't stand the thought of seeing you so disappointed in me." Dylan confessed. "That I fell for their scheme. I didn't want to let anyone in again after what they did... no matter how much I loved them."

Kelly knew Kevin and Suzanne had really hurt Dylan, but she didn't realise the wounds went so deep. She finally understood why he hasn't trusted her with the truth.

"If you spent so much time in the NICU, why did you bail the moment they were out?" Kelly challenged further. Dylan was being so honest with her right now and she wasn't leaving until she got all the answers she had desperately been seeking.

"I felt useless Kel. You and Brandon had formed this team and I just felt so insignificant. Like I had truly lost everything. Like maybe you were all better off without me. I needed to feel needed and I wasn't. It's not an excuse for what I did, but it's how I felt. I felt like there was nothing else for me."

"But something brought you back." Kelly observed. He was standing here, clean and ready to be a parent. Something changed.

"The twins. I had a dream about them when I was in the hospital and I just—I wanted to see them grow up. I wanted them to know and feel they had a dad who loved them with everything that was in him. I wanted to protect them and I didn't think anybody else could do it like I could." Dylan told her. He couldn't remember the last time he and Kelly had such an open and honest chat, but the flood gates were open and he wasn't holding back. "I thought—here are two little babies that I have a clean slate with. They don't know my damage, they would love me when I couldn't love myself. If those two little faces aren't something to live for-" he said as they looked down into the bassinets, "Then I don't know what is." Dylan walked forward and lifted Kelly's hands into his. "I am so sorry that I let you down Kelly and I promising you now—if you ever feel like I am letting down Mollie and Tommy then I will leave. I will leave until I am in a position to be the father they deserve."

"You think an absent father is better than a troubled one?" she queried.

"When they're this young? Yeah. I do. But let's hope it never comes to that." he said, brushing his promise aside.

"Can you make me another promise?" she asked quietly.

"Anything."

Kelly pulled Dylan to the bassinets as she lifted Mollie and he lifted Tommy.

"Every Christmas, no matter where you and I are at, we spend it together. The four of us. Just like this." she said.

Dylan smiled, "That is a promise I will happily make."

Before they could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. Dylan went to answer it and saw all of their friends standing on the other side—including Steve dressed as Santa.

"Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!" Steve exclaimed. "I am here to make sure that my favourite twinnies have the best first Christmas ever." he said as he took Tommy from Dylan and walked into the living room, while David, Brandon, Clare, Donna, Ray and Andrea followed.

"Oh look how happy my babies look!" Kelly exclaimed as she could see the excitement on their faces.

"I am a baby whisperer" Steve bragged as Tommy giggled lightly at Steve's silly outfit and voice.

"Yeah, well Mr. Baby Whisperer, I'd like my baby back now please..." Dylan said as he took Tommy from him and went to stand beside Kelly.

"So..." Kelly addressed everybody. "I know the past year has been an incredibly difficult time for a lot of us but right now, I think we all have a lot to be thankful for." Kelly said as they all looked around the room. "Thankful that we have our health and thankful that we have each other."

"And these two little pieces of heaven on Earth somehow make all the terrible stuff seem so insignificant." Dylan added as he gazed down at his babies. "Merry Christmas everyone" he finished as everyone joined in with similar choruses, thankful that they could have this time together.


	33. Working Out the Kinks

_So, I wasn't sure if I wanted to include the whole cult thing... I just wasn't really a fan, but I decided to go for it anyway! it had some good DK moments to work with._ _I __also tried to infuse a little bit of the back and forth I established between Dylan and Kelly back into this chapter... i think we are due some fun and to try and restore that dynamic. It's a minor part of this chapter, but it's there._ _I hope you enjoy! _

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Three- Working Out the Kinks

Kelly felt like she was about to burst into tears. She had been up all night with a screaming Tommy who refused to go to sleep. It didn't take long for Kelly's parental instincts to kick in and she realised that something was wrong. He was bright red and he was warm, so she immediately called Dylan over to help out. They took Tommy into Kelly's bedroom so not to wake Mollie and while Kelly continued to sooth him and check his temperature, Dylan called the doctor for some advice.

"His temperature is still over 103, it's not coming down." Kelly said frantically as she tried to stay calm. When the twins were in the NICU she felt much more reassured that if something went wrong, the doctors and nurses would be there, but now she felt so lost and scared and out of her depth.

"His temperature is still over 103" Dylan said down the line. "Uh huh... ok, thanks." he said as he hung up the phone.

"What did he say?" Kelly asked immediately.

"It's not uncommon for an infant to hold a high fever like that, but we should take him in anyway. It's better safe than sorry." Dylan said as Kelly handed Tommy to him.

"Ok, ok, I'm just going to tell Donna to listen out for Mollie and then put some clothes on" she said as she quickly kissed Tommy's head. "It's ok baby, you're ok..."

"Kelly, he will be ok." Dylan assured her.

Kelly nodded her head, thankful that Dylan was here to guide her through this. If this had have happen a few months ago, she would have felt even more lost and afraid.

Soon enough, they had arrived in the ER and were guided towards a bed to wait for the doctor. Tommy had tired himself out with his screaming and had started to calm down. Dylan rested his hand on his head and delicately stroked his forehead with his thumb, which seemed to be working wonders in soothing him.

Kelly paced in front of the bed for what felt like hours, until a young doctor finally made an appearance.

"Tommy McKay?" she called and Kelly immediately leaped towards her.

"Here!" she said quickly as the doctor walked towards then.

"Hi there, I'm Dr.-"

_"Penny?_" Dylan questioned, completely surprised to see her.

Penny looked over at Dylan, "_Dylan?_ Hi!" she said excitedly.

Kelly frowned, "You two know each other?"

"Yeah we used to hang out together during the summer in Baja." Dylan explained as Kelly nodded her head. She was_ that_ Penny. Kelly had heard plenty about her over the years. She was the reason she vetoed the name Penny after all. "This is Kelly Taylor" Dylan introduced as Penny gave her own knowing nod. While Kelly had heard plenty about Penny, Penny had heard even _more_ about Kelly. She was often all Dylan could talk about—especially when he'd a had a little too much to drink. "And this is our son Tommy"

"Wow, I never pegged you for a settle down with kids type" Penny observed. The Dylan she knew cared for little more than making sure his surfboard was waxed.

"He and his sister were a little surprise" he said with a little laugh. They may have been a surprise but they were the best surprise he'd ever gotten.

"I see" Penny said with a smile and a nod. "What seems to be the problem with Tommy?" she said as she started to examine him.

"He's been running a fever for a few hours and it doesn't seem to want to come down." Kelly explained.

"Ok. Well, we'll run some tests and find out what's going on. Everything is probably fine, probably just a minor virus which is not uncommon in infants, but it's best to be on the safe side, you were right to bring him in." Penny said as she smiled at Dylan who smiled at her back.

Kelly looked between the pair and tried to hold back her eye roll. Trust Dylan to flirt with the doctor while his son was sick. Also trust the doctor to be one of Dylan's Baja hook ups too.

* * *

A short while later, Kelly and Dylan were waiting by Tommy's bed while he slept. They had been patiently waiting for his test results to come through, but they sensed they could be waiting a while. Kelly also hadn't taken her eyes off Tommy since he fell asleep, just incase something happened.

"He's going to be ok Kel" Dylan assured her from the other side of the cot.

Kelly sighed, "I know, it just feels like one thing after another. First it was Mollie being so unwell in the NICU and now this."

"It's just a fever, babies get fevers all the time"

Kelly rolled her eyes, "No offence Dylan, but I think I'll wait to hear that from your little doctor friend..." she said bitterly as she sat back in her chair.

Dylan smirked, "Is that a hint of jealousy I hear in your voice Taylor?" he asked. How the tables had well and truly turned...

"Oh _please_-"

"You know, it's ok to admit it, you know I get plenty jealous too" he said as he held his hands up.

"I am _not_ jealous." she made clear. "I just would appreciate it if you didn't make _flirty eyes_ with her across our son while he is sick. You can do that in your own time." she said with narrow eyes.

Dylan knew Kelly better than anyone. Hell, he probably knew her better than she knew herself and he could tell when she was lying—like right now. She was lying through her _teeth_. She was so obviously jealous. In any normal circumstance he would have happily teased her about this, but she was already stressed out enough with Tommy, so he figured it was best not to poke the bear.

"Alrighty then..." he merely said as Penny walked over.

"I spoke to your paediatrician. She feels there really is no reason to keep Tommy here. His fever is down, these things just happen with infants occasionally." Penny told them with a reassuring smile.

Dylan sighed, "At least he's finally asleep."

"Thank you Dr. Holloway" Kelly said politely.

"You're welcome." she said as she left the bay.

While Kelly gathered Tommy's things to take him home, Dylan followed Penny around the corridor.

"Penn" he called as Penny turned around and smiled at him, hugging her clipboard to her chest.

"You know, I still can't quite believe that you're a _dad._.."

Dylan chuckled, "Yeah, I don't think I've ever felt more fear than I do over being a parent. Especially when something is wrong with my kids. Tommy spent the first two months of his life in the NICU, Mollie spent 3 months there so—we really hated bringing him here." he confessed with a gulp.

"Well I'm glad they're both ok. I'm also glad you and Kelly finally got your act together. You certainly moped over her long enough" she teased.

Dylan awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, "Yeah, we're had our act together but then it fell apart, mostly because of me... so, we're friends now—sort of. It's complicated and it probably always will be complicated between us." he rambled as Penny nodded her head.

Dylan had enjoyed being friendly with Kelly again. They were slowly getting back to their normal selves, but to say the loss of their relationship hadn't severely damaged him wouldn't be true. He refused to open up to anyone else. Valerie had tried and spectacularly failed and Dylan knew it would take a lot for him to give anyone other than Kelly Taylor the time of day. He knew it would always be a complicated mess, but if the complicated mess always included them trudging through life together in whatever form, then he was ok with that.

"Well" Penny began as she reached into her pocket and lifted out a card. "If you ever uncomplicate things, give me call." she said with a flirtatious smirk as she handed him the card and walked away.

* * *

Just as the sun began to rise, Kelly, Dylan and Tommy had arrived back at the apartment.

Kelly groaned as she looked out over the beach, "The sun is rising. How can the sun be rising? I have a final tomorrow... or _today_ more like."

"I'm sure you could take it another time" Dylan suggested.

Kelly shook her head, "No, I just want to get it over with, no matter how tired I am."

"Well, at least this little man is ok" he said as he looked into the car seat, he was holding at Tommy's sleeping figure.

"Yeah... thanks for coming with me."

"Where else would I be?" he asked as Kelly gave him a tight-lipped smile. It had taken them a while, but they were finally getting used to this whole co-parenting thing and Dylan really seemed to be in his element with it. The twins loved him more than anything. Kelly couldn't me more grateful that he was stepping up and being the father that they both wanted him to be.

"Listen, Dylan... I'm sorry about earlier... for getting jealous..." she said, though it was clearly a difficult thing for her to confess.

"Oh, so you admit it?" he teased with a smile.

Kelly rolled her eyes, "Yes, I admit it. I also admit that no matter who you date... it's probably always going to be a little weird for me." she said quietly.

Dylan nodded his head, he knew exactly how that felt. There was nothing weirder to him than seeing Kelly walking around hand in hand with his best friend.

"It's always going to be there, huh? You and me." Dylan asked.

Kelly nodded her head, "Yeah, I think so..." she replied quietly. "I uh—I better-" she said awkwardly as she motioned towards the door. Dylan handed her the car seat softly so not to wake Tommy up. "Goodnight McKay" Kelly said as she disappeared behind the door.

"Goodnight Taylor."

* * *

A little over a month had passed since Tommy's ER visit and things had been progressing for Dylan. He had begun to repair his friendship with Brandon over a guy's trip gone wrong and they were both grateful to have each other back in their lives. Dylan had also devised a scheme with Jonesy to get his money and Erica back. With Valerie's help, they somehow managed to pull it off. Kevin and Suzanne went to jail, Dylan was a rich man again and Erica went to live with Iris in Hawaii. Dylan considered having her come live with him, but he was already responsible for not screwing up two kids, he didn't think he should chance it with a third.

Dylan also started to be extra cautious with his money. After giving Valerie a small cut for her help, he kept what he needed and then put the rest in trusts for Tommy and Mollie. He figured that they could do something much more worthwhile one day with all those millions than he could.

Kelly was also starting to trust Dylan more and more with the twins. They started to spend a few nights a week with him in his house and he loved it. He was truly in his element and often played daddy day care when Kelly was busy.

One evening, Dylan was standing in the After Dark during a fundraiser with Mollie strapped to his chest when Valerie walked over and eyed him curiously.

"Aren't you missing a kid McKay?" she questioned.

Dylan sighed and turned around to reveal Tommy strapped to his back.

"Wow... inventive." she said "And only _you_ would bring two babies to a bar..."

"Val... it's a night club. Come on." He toked as Valerie playfully rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I see, that makes a whole load of difference..." there wasn't anything happening tonight anyway, it was just a harmless fundraiser, there were kids splattered everywhere.

_"Exactly_, give me a little credit..." he said as she walked away and another woman whom Dylan had never met walked over.

"Hey, cute babies..." she admired.

Dylan shrugged and looked down at Mollie who had her head resting peacefully against his chest, "They take after their old man."

"Well maybe their old man could use a drink when he gets them down for a nap-"

_"He's sober, run along."_

Dylan turned around just as the woman disappeared to find Kelly standing behind him with her hands on her hips and her eyebrows raised.

"Kelly..."

"I don't particularly want strange women coming over and touching my perfect babies and considering your history with prostitutes-"

"Let's not go there..."

"- please don't use babies to pick up women." she asked with a fake smile.

"Are you telling me that you're not going to use these angel faces to find some nice young men now that you and Brandon are no more?" he questioned. He'd heard from Brandon that Kelly dumped him over this New Evolution stuff she had gotten in to. Brandon was really worried about this Patrick Finely guy, but Dylan hadn't thought twice about it. It was probably just a phase and on the grand scheme of things, it really wouldn't do Kelly much harm.

"No, Dylan, I'm not interested in boys right now, I have much more important things on my plate."

"Yeah I heard about this new age stuff you're now into..."

Kelly raised an eyebrow, "I think it could work wonders for you, you know."

"Kel—my mother has been trying to years to get me into this sort of thing and it hasn't worked out, what makes you think _you'll_ be able to sway me?"

"I won't sway you, the work that they're doing will." she said confidently, "But back to the main point... do we have an agreement?

"Yes, no using our babies to pick up women" he said as he mock saluted her and watched her walk away.

Who knew babies were such a babe magnet?

* * *

That night, Dylan was rocking Tommy to sleep when Brandon frantically knocked on his door. This new evolution stuff was clearly getting to him and he'd had enough. He'd done everything he could to steer Kelly clear of it but it wasn't working. Then it occurred to him—Kelly was the only person who could break Dylan out of his drug spell, so maybe Dylan was the only person who could break Kelly out of her cult spell.

When he proposed the idea to Dylan, he immediately said no. He didn't want to piss Kelly off considering the precarious nature of their relationship right now.

"Why can't you just go and talk to her Dylan? She'll listen to you!"

"Honestly Brandon I really wouldn't worry about it. My mother gets mixed up with a different bunch of freaks every week and she's fine" Dylan said with a shrug just as Mollie started to cry. "Do you mind?" Dylan asked as Brandon nodded and picked Mollie up.

"Kelly should be here with her kids."

"... it's my night" Dylan reminded him.

Brandon rolled his eyes, he didn't mean so literally, but lately, she had been putting this new evolution stuff over her parenting. "You know what I mean. I've been to this place Dylan, it's _seriously_ bad."

"So is the keg house but you don't seem to worry about her when she's there." Dylan countered. "I thought you were writing articles in favour of this guy anyway?"

"A lot can change in a week."

"Look B, Kelly moved on, you're not in the picture anymore, trust me, you'll survive." Dylan said. That was only _partly_ a lie. He'd barely made it out of his heartbreak alive, but he was doing better and he _was_ surviving. "Are you worried that he's after her body?" If that was the case, Dylan would be pissed too.

"More like her mind and her money."

Dylan scoffed, "Well the joke's on him because she doesn't have any money."

"Maybe not compared to you but her dad sends her some pretty hefty cheques every month. Look, Dylan, I know you care about her-" Brandon began. Care was a very _loose_ way of describing his feelings for her. Deeply in love with was a little more accurate. "- and she needs your help. You are the only person in the world that she trusts implicitly. You really want Mollie and Tommy to be dragged into all this stuff someday too?" he challenged.

Dylan looked down at Tommy as he slept in his arms. The last thing he wanted was for two small children to be swept up in some cultic behaviour before they had the mind to make their own intelligent decisions. He also didn't want Kelly getting herself into something dangerous and false.

"... I'm not doing this for you, ok?" Dylan made clear.

Brandon gratefully nodded his head, "As it should be."

"Tell me about Patrick Finley."

* * *

It didn't take long for Dylan to convince Kelly to introduce him to Finley. Kelly knew he was looking for meaning in his life, so of course she was ready to help him out. Once Dylan had left the room for a few minutes, Finley was straight into questioning Kelly to find out more about Dylan to see if he was worth his time.

"He spoke about his mother quite a lot but not his father." Finely observed.

"His dad is probably his Achillies heel. His father was Jack McKay."

Finley's ears perked up, "The financier?" The dollar signs were practically shining from his eyes. "That explains why he's built up so many walls, he has a lot to protect..."

"Yeah, I think his biggest fear is that he's not going to be a good father after the experience he's had with his." Kelly told him.

"I think if we work together, we can bring him out of his shell and harness his potential in all areas of life." Finley said positively as Kelly bought into his words.

* * *

That night, after putting the twins to bed, Kelly and Dylan sat in Dylan's living room talking things through.

"Finley is not at all like I thought. I thought he would be obsessed with this new evolution stuff" Dylan observed as he drank his tea.

"No, he's not all about ideas. He cares about people. That's why he started to evolution in the first place." Kelly told him proudly.

"What does your mom say about this?" Dylan asked cautiously. He wasn't sure how keen Jackie would be on the idea.

Kelly smirked, "She thinks I'm going through a phase... but it's more than that. I know it is."

"Hey, you don't have to sell me, I'm on your side—remember?" he told her. He felt guilty that he was misleading her. They had always been honest with each other (most of the time anyway.) He was on her side, but not in the way she thought.

Kelly smiled, "This is nice."

"What is?"

"You, me, tea." she rhymed off. "Talking like we used to talk."

Dylan smirked, "It almost feels like another life..."

"Yeah... I have missed you, you know." Kelly told him honestly. She truly missed her best friend.

"I think you know I've missed you too" Dylan replied.

Kelly held up her glass "Well, in that case—to new beginnings."

"... to new beginnings." he replied as they clinked glasses and Dylan said a silent prayer that she couldn't shut him away when she learned what he was really doing.

* * *

The following day, Dylan came up with a plan to catch Finley out. He offered Finley a large sum of money to convince Kelly to get back together with him so they could be a family again. Finley was all too quick to accept Dylan's generous donation in return for the favour.

_"I sense a chemistry between you two that defies real time and space. Your connection manifested itself in your two precious babies. The truth is, I believe that Dylan McKay is your soulmate."_

_"In a lot of ways he probably is" _Kelly mumbled in response. In_ all_ ways she knew he probably was.

_"He loves you Kelly."_

_"I know."_

_"Well then you must share your new found happiness with him. Give him what he hungers for. Spiritually, emotionally, physically. Love him in every way."_

Kelly already loved Dylan in a lot of ways. Those feelings had never gone away. She didn't need Finley to tell her that, but maybe he was the push she needed to act on those feelings. To hold on to something she valued so dearly.

The following afternoon, Dylan had invited Kelly over and she jumped at the invitation.

"Wow, you're very prompt, that's not like you" Dylan said as he opened the door to her and Mollie and Tommy.

Kelly smiled, "Well we weren't expecting such a sweet invitation, were we twinnies?" she cooed into their pram as they smiled up at their parents.

"Anything to see you three" he said as Kelly pushed the pram into the house and Dylan closed the door behind her.

Kelly turned around to look at Dylan, "I have to admit... you've been on my mind lately." she confessed.

"I have?"

Kelly giggled, "Yes, you have... do I smell hot chocolate?"

"Yeah, I was warming some bottles for Mollie and Tommy and then I saw some hot chocolate sitting in the cupboard and I know it's your favourite" he said as he pulled on her jacket lightly.

Kelly quirked an eyebrow, "Yeah, but you made fun of me for liking a kid's drink."

Dylan shrugged, "I guess we've both come a long way."

"The more things change, the more they stay the same" she told him as he nodded. Their lives had changed drastically over the past year, yet here they were being pulled back to one another like magnets. Kelly had a funny feeling that no matter what happened between them, their feelings would never change.

Kelly unexpectedly walked forward and kissed Dylan. He was a little ashamed that he let her do that, but my _god_ did he miss kissing her. He wanted to savour this moment before he pulled the rug out from underneath her.

Kelly pulled back from the kiss, "I've wanted to do that for a while now."

"Kelly-"

"Ever since you stood up for my at The Peach Pit I've wanted to hold you and love you and let our paths evolve." she confessed almost robotically.

"What about Brandon?"

"I have strong feelings for Brandon but he doesn't understand me like you do." Kelly made clear.

Dylan tried to hold it together but it was proving difficult with her standing so close to him. He felt like he might melt at her touch, but this wasn't how he was going to win her back. It wasn't right.

"and if he hadn't have rejected the New Evolution you wouldn't have had to dump him, right?" Dylan questioned.

"Meaningful change comes with personal sacrifice." Kelly rhymed off.

Dylan removed Kelly's hands from his chest and pushed her away slightly, "Come on Kel, you and I both know the only reason you're coming on to me so strong is because Finley asked you to."

"He may have helped me clarify what our future would be like together-"

_"Kelly._ I told him I would pay for the learning centre if he could get you to jump back into my bed and here you are."

"You're lying." Kelly said through her teeth as she took a step back.

"That's what Greg thought you would say."

"Greg?"

Dylan called out Brandon from the kitchen who had a man with him. They forced Kelly to listen to what he had to say and thankfully she saw the light. She saw all that was wrong with the New Evolution and she told Finley where to go, fixed things with Brandon and Dylan was left right back where he started—alone.

* * *

A few days later, Dylan received a call from Kelly asking him to meet her down at the beach. When he got there, he saw Kelly sitting on a picnic rug with the twins, tickling their stomachs. Kelly soon spotted him approaching and smiled.

"How cute do these two look in their little beach wear?" Kelly asked as she continued to make the babies giggle.

Dylan chuckled when he noticed the abundance of sun cream Kelly had put on them, "You got enough sun screen on them?"

Kelly pouted, "You can never be too careful..."

"At least rub it in a little Kel..." he said as he sat down on the rug and rubbed the cream in so they looked significantly less white.

"Ok_ dad_" she teased.

"So... what's with the family beach trip?" he asked.

"Well, two things..." Kelly said "Firstly... I wanted to say I'm sorry and also thank you. I'm sorry for what I put you through. It wasn't fair at all and you deserve better and thank you for what you did for me. You didn't have to do that yet you came through. You always come through."

"If I remember correctly, we made a pact..." he said as Kelly chuckled.

"Yeah, we did. I'm glad the terms haven't faded from your brain even if they've faded from mine." Kelly told him. "In all seriousness though, if you hadn't have exposed Finley for the fraud that he is, I'd probably still be _evolving_ with him."

Dylan nodded his head, "What do you want me to say?" he asked. There wasn't really much he could say.

"That you'll always be my friend." she said with a gulp. There was something a little strange about calling Dylan her friend, despite having spent most of their lives as just that. This so-called friendship they were trying to rebuild was all she could think about the past few days. She had been amazed that he was willing to have his heart broken again in order to get her out of Finley's control. He had always been willing to go enormous lengths for her and she wasn't sure she could ever put that down to just friendship.

"I'll always be your friend." he told her. "But... something tells me we'll always be that little bit more." he added as Kelly's heart skipped a beat as he took the words right out of her mouth. She had no idea what to say in return, she hadn't expected him to be so in sync with her thoughts, but thankfully she didn't have to say anything. "What was that second thing?" Dylan asked.

"Right, uh—I was looking out over the ocean today and I thought it had been a while since I'd done something to make me smile." she said cryptically.

Dylan frowned, "So... you want to go swimming?" he guessed.

Kelly giggled, "No... I want to watch my babies' faces when they dip their feet in the ocean for the first time. I figured that was something you'd want to see too."

Dylan smiled, "Absolutely..." he said as he lifted Mollie up and Kelly lifted Tommy. "Want to make a bet?" he asked as they made their way to the edge of the water and let the waves trickle lightly over their feet.

Kelly raised an eyebrow, "On what?"

"I bet you that Mollie will love the water but Tommy will hate it" he predicted.

"Oh really? I bet you _Tommy_ will love it and _Mollie_ will hate it." she countered, just to make things interesting.

"What do you say Mols?" Dylan asked as Mollie babbled back at him and he listened intently. "Yeah, she agrees with me."

Kelly playfully rolled her eyes, "What are the terms?"

"Any major diaper explosions—_you_ deal with them. Even if they're with me at 3am, you drive your ass over to my house and you clean it up." he suggested.

Kelly laughed, "Oh, you are so on..."

They bent down and allowed Tommy and Mollie's feet to dangle into the water. Almost immediately they started excitedly waving their limbs and giggling, causing Dylan and Kelly to laugh too.

"Looks like we were both wrong" Dylan said.

"Look at their little faces!" Kelly cooed proudly. They looked so ridiculously happy right now.

"Just wait till I can take you two surfing" Dylan said happily.

"My little water babies" Kelly said as she planted kisses all over Tommy's head.

Kelly watched as Dylan continued to smile brightly as Mollie splashed around him. She took in a deep breath as she tried to control her emotions. She knew in that moment that she would love Dylan McKay till the day she died and she also had a feeling that their story wasn't over yet.


	34. Dream Come True

_Thank you for all your great reviews! The detail you guys go to is amazing. I love reading them!_

_So, I __realise that six chapters on season 5 probably seems like nothing, but there wasn't much more I wanted to say on this part of the story. It goes through a whole year quite swiftly, but I'm not a fan of dragging things out... we have 10 years to get through in this story, so hopefully this is cool with you._ _There's going to be a bunch of time jumping over the next few chapters, so let me know if you want anything clarified etc._

_So without further ado, it's time to wrap up season 5... enjoy! _

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Four- Dream Come True

A few months had passed since Kelly's run in with Finley and things had been progressing smoothly for the Taylor-McKay clan. Mollie and Tommy were growing every day and Kelly and Dylan loved watching their little personalities start to form. Tommy was the quiet twin. He could certainly cause a fuss when he wanted to, but he was often outshone by his feisty and demanding sister. Mollie was always making noise, always looking for attention but any frustration she caused her parents was quickly washed away when they took one look into her dazzling blue eyes. They were two very beautiful babies which was entirely unsurprising consider their genetics.

Kelly and Dylan had also been getting on well. They were back to their old high school selves, messing and flirting around with everyone noticing but not having the guts to say anything. While they all knew Kelly really missed Dylan, they also knew Dylan was _desperately_ pining after her. When Kelly's cover of Seventeen Magazine came out, Dylan spent most of his day at the Pit just looking at it. She looked angelic and Dylan wanted that to be how he always thought of her.

While Kelly's modelling career took off, Dylan had been helping his rehab friend Charlie with a play he was writing. Dylan mainly just looked over it and made sure it wasn't complete garbage, but somehow, Charlie managed to get him into dream therapy and what came next was entirely unexpected. In his dream, Dylan travelled to a past life as an outlaw in the wild west. While there, Kelly also popped up and eventually Mollie and Tommy too. Dylan was confused, he couldn't understand what any of this meant until the therapist explained that he and Kelly had a seminal link—meaning that they were soulmates for life.

Dylan wasn't surprised by this revelation. He had always known his life would have been in the tank if Kelly wasn't in it and he knew if he ever lost her again, he would be finished. As soon as he left Maggie's house, Dylan rushed home and rang Kelly on her trip to New York.

"Hello, is this New York?" he joked down the line as he heard Kelly's throaty chuckle.

"I had a feeling I would hear from you today." she replied softly.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah... truth is, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you all day. Must be something about New York that reminds me of you." Kelly said honestly. She had been completely distracted by her thoughts about Dylan and she had no idea why. She could barely pay attention in her meetings and just hoped that Steve had been listening keenly. All she could hear was Dylan's name being repeated over and over again in her head—and it almost always sent shivers through her body.

Something Valerie had said to her before she left had also been playing on her mind.

_"Don't worry Kel, I'll look after your guy while you're gone."_

_"Is that your way of telling me you're going to make a move on Brandon?"_

_"I was talking about Dylan. After all, he's the one you dream about—right?"_

It was like Valerie had been living in her mind. Truth was, she'd literally had a dream about Dylan a few nights ago. A pretty _intimate_ dream. She'd had _plenty_ of those while they were together which often resulted in some morning delight but when they'd broken up, the dreams ceased... until the other night when she ended up falling out of her bed in a sweaty and riled up manner. To make matters worse, Brandon had been lying beside her the whole time. She'd prayed she hadn't said anything out loud, but the following morning, Brandon didn't say anything, so she figured she was off the hook.

Kelly was shaken from her sex dream reminiscing by Dylan's reply.

"I haven't really been able to get you out of my head either." He said. Not that he had ever really _tried_ to get her out of his head.

"Must be some cosmic forces at play." she joked ironically. "Thank you for taking the twins tonight, I know it's not your night and I'm sure you're busy-"

"Never too busy for my kids." he interrupted as Kelly nodded down the line.

"Of course..." Kelly sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "You know I didn't realise how little sleep those little monsters were giving me until I got here, I cannot _wait_ to get into my bed. You should see the view from my room Dylan, it's just stunning..." she said as she looked out the window. She really wished this was something she could share with him.

"I'm sure it's pretty spectacular."

"Yeah..." Kelly mumbled, all of a sudden feeling a little lonely. She and Dylan talked on the phone right through the night. It didn't even register with them that so much time had passed. They talked nonsense, they reminisced, they laughed, they even just sat in a comfortable silence with each other. It just felt so natural and safe and comforting to talk to each other like this.

Dylan eventually hung up when he heard Kelly's snoring on the other end of the line. He had rung her in the hopes of telling her about his dream therapy, but when he heard her voice, his words failed him. He didn't know how to explain this to her over the phone and felt like this was probably something he should do in person.

He waited around the following day with the twins, waiting for her to come home. As soon as he knew she would be in, he called the sitter and rushed round to her apartment. He hesitantly knocked on the door, not knowing the best way to go about this, but he hoped the words would come to him in the moment.

Kelly opened the door and felt her heart flutter a little but when she saw Dylan on the other side.

"Dylan, hi." she said with a little smile. While she was glad to see him, she was still surprised to see him.

"Hi Kel" he replied as he let out a breath and just looked at her.

"Is everything ok?" she asked softly, seeing that he looked eager to say something.

"I just—I've been thinking about you a lot lately and I-" he began, but when he looked into her eyes his words fell away again. He couldn't find the words to say what he wanted to say and all he wanted to do in that moment was kiss her.

So, he did just that. He dipped his head forward and kissed her, startling her at first, but it didn't take long for her to respond as her hands got lost in his hair and she gave herself over to his control. She had missed his touch and his kiss more than she could say. It was the most euphoric and loving feeling she had ever experienced.

She pulled him backwards into the apartment and he kicked the door shut with his foot before turning her around and pressed her against the wall. Kelly pushed his jacket off his shoulders and his hands wandered under her blouse, their bodies getting more heated by the second. Dylan reached out a hand before shoving the mail and the ornament off the console table by the door before lifting Kelly onto the table, her legs immediately hooking around his legs and their lips not losing contact.

It had been a long time since Kelly had been kissed like this and she grew more and more aroused by every flick of his tongue. Dylan pulled at the back of her hair, tilting her neck up before he began fiercely kissing it. Kelly tried desperately to control her breathing but she was proving hopeless at it.

Suddenly, Dylan removed his lips from her neck and looked at her as they both tried to catch their breaths.

"Wha-what?" Kelly asked as her hands continued to roam in his hair and her lips danced around his as their noses brushed. "Don't you want this?"

Dylan nodded, "I want this, but not on a table in your living room." he said as Kelly merely looked at him. "I'm going to take you into your bedroom" he said as he kissed one side of her neck. "And I'm going to make sure that every single part of your body..." he said as he kissed the other side of her neck. "Knows how much I love you" he said as he placed a tantalizing kiss on her lips.

"Show me" she whispered to him before he scooped her up in his arms and carried her down the hall, vowing not to leave until she remembered exactly what it felt like to be loved by him.

* * *

The following afternoon Kelly decided to make use of the roller skates Brandon had bought her and took them down to the beach. She had barely let herself think about what had happened last night. A huge part of her didn't regret it but there was another part of her that knew it shouldn't have happened. She was also barely thinking about her relationships with these two men, but rather _their_ relationship with _each other_. Brandon had always been like a brother to Dylan and she hated that she was the thing that was breaking them apart. Dylan needed Brandon more than he cared to admit.

She felt a strange wave of peace rush over her when she spotted Dylan pushing the pram in her direction. She began to lose her balance as she approached him and he smirked.

"How am I doing?" she asked with a giggle.

"Like poetry in motion"

"I have a little control problem-" she said as she ran straight into him and knocked him over, falling flat on her back as he tried to control her fall, causing the twins to giggle at their parents' clumsiness.

"So do I" Dylan said deeply as Kelly leaned up and kissed him. She let herself get lost in him for a few moments before she came back to her senses.

"I think I've been swept off my feet..." she said with a little laugh as Dylan reached into his pocket and lifted out a leaflet.

"Yes, you have."

Kelly frowned, "What is this?" she asked as she took it from him and opened it up. 4 open ended plane tickets. "... are you serious?"

Dylan nodded, "Yeah, we leave right after your exams. Just pack really light, we can get anything you need on the way. Clothes in France, pearls in China. We'll go to Australia and get you a boomerang."

Kelly could see how excited Dylan was by the prospect of whisking her away for the summer and starting fresh, but she couldn't help but feel anxious at the prospect.

She sighed and sat up, "Dylan, I can't just leave town, I have responsibilities."

"What responsibilities?"

"Well for starters, I don't know if you've heard of them but... I have these two babies, a little boy and a little girl and they are just so dang cute and they need their mommy to look after them—hey, there they are right there!" she teased as she smiled and waved at her babies as they sat in their pram.

Dylan chuckled deeply, "If you'd read the tickets you'd see we are taking Mollie and Tommy and all their cuteness with us. They're all the responsibility we're going to have this summer."

"What about school and my modelling contract?"

"School is almost over and you get more beautiful every day, they'll wait."

Kelly gulped. She'd given every reason she could think of apart from the most blaringly obvious one—_her boyfriend_. Her boyfriend that she'd cheated on last night and not even acknowledged in her own head that she'd done it. It was starting to become a bit of a habit that Dylan and Kelly would cheat on their partners with each other—a habit that she was in no way proud of.

"What about my family and friends?" she asked vaguely as Dylan saw right through what she was saying.

"You mean what about Brandon?" he asked.

Kelly looked at her feet, "You may have travelled back in time and found me as your soul mate but—I didn't." No matter what Kelly felt in her heart, the reality of the situation was she hadn't 'found' her soulmate like Dylan had. All she knew was right now. "All I know is this life and in this life I'm with Brandon." she said almost reluctantly. She knew it was a little late to be bringing Brandon into this after last night. "And if I remember correctly the last time we travelled anywhere together we fought the whole time."

"So you stay with Brandon because you don't fight with him?" Dylan asked as Kelly sighed and lay back down with Dylan quickly following and hovering above her. "Kelly, you fight with me because that's when you feel the most _alive_. And we didn't fight the whole time we were in Europe, we fought the last two weeks, the 4 weeks before that were tres jolie..." he said with a teasing smile.

"Dylan..."

"Kel, you and I are soulmates. I know you feel it too. Last night proved that and if we're going to be together now, this is our opportunity. Come with me Kelly. Unless you want to stay here and roller skate with Uncle Minnesota..." he teased.

"Dylan, don't do this" Kelly said in a whisper. If they were ever going to be together again, she wasn't convinced this was how she wanted it to happen.

"Kelly, I know you have a good life with Brandon. I know he treats you well... but I also know he doesn't ignite a fire inside of you. I know he doesn't fill you with passion and ecstasy... not in the way I do. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't sure that where you belong is with me. We've been through so much together, we _have_ so much together" he said as they looked at their babies still staring at them silently in their pram. The love that they had for each other was walking- or crawling—around on earth in the form of their twins. "Our story isn't finished. I can just feel it."

Kelly wholeheartedly agreed with everything he was saying but she couldn't say it out loud. She couldn't admit to something that would cause so much destruction.

"I- I don't know what to say" she said quietly.

"So don't say anything" Dylan said as he ran his thumb over her cheek. "Just be ready when the car comes to pick you up. Oh, and, don't break anything while roller blading, travelling on crutches is a bitch" he said as he quickly kissed her before standing up and pulling her up with him. "Come on twinnies" Dylan said as he turned the pram and started walking away, leaving Kelly alone with her thoughts.

* * *

When Brandon found out about Dylan's proposal, he immediately countered his offer with a _marriage_ proposal. He bought the ring, he presented it to Kelly and she said she'd think about it. She felt immediately guilty that she hadn't been honest about her indiscretions of the previous evening. Instead, she hid in her room and tried to make up her mind about what she wanted before she confessed to anything.

She did confide in Donna about the whole thing who understood her predicament. She knew the love she had with Dylan was _epic_, but she also knew that Brandon was not the sort of person who would let her down in the same way that Dylan had and she wanted Kelly to remember that.

_"You wouldn't give up a guy like Brandon for a fling, would you?"_

_"Dylan's not talking about a fling."_

_"Dylan didn't give you a ring."_

_"No, just two babies... Don't think I'm crazy because I know it sounds nuts... I love Brandon, but with Dylan- I don't know—it's like he'll always have a piece of my soul."_

While Dylan was keen for Kelly to give him an answer, he wasn't as edgy as Brandon was about the whole thing. He couldn't comprehend why Kelly would even consider Dylan's offer and why she had been so off with him. She could barely look him in the eye and she stiffened at his touch. He had his suspicions, but he didn't want to jump to any conclusions and push her away. He decided to press her only a little about it, and it didn't take long to make her crack.

_"I slept with Dylan"_ she blurted out as they walked along the beach. She had stopped slightly behind him as Brandon nodded his head and gathered his thoughts.

"I thought you might have."

Kelly shook her head and looked at her feet, "I am so sorry. You shouldn't want to marry me."

Brandon turned around, "He's always going to have a hold over you, isn't he?"

"He will always be someone so special to me. Our hearts are walking around on Earth in the form of two little kids. We're always going to be _something._.. but I should never have slept with him." Kelly said honestly. No matter how good and how right it felt, they shouldn't have done it. "I don't know why but I couldn't get my mind off him all day and then he was on my doorstep telling me the same thing and he just—he swept me off my feet."

Brandon merely nodded his head. He figured Kelly's words were only half the story, but he wasn't about to argue with her right now. For some reason, he didn't even feel that angry about the whole thing. He still saw her and he still loved her. Maybe she needed this to get Dylan out of her system for good.

"I still want to marry you Kelly. I still want our future. I think it would be amazing."

"How can you still want me after everything I've done?" she asked in disbelief.

"Because I know if you choose me it's because you're serious about us and you want us to work. We can get past Dylan, _you_ can get past Dylan—I just need you to choose me so we can do it—together."

Kelly merely nodded her head at his words. She couldn't find the words for Brandon _or_ Dylan right now. She spent the next two days stewing over her choice. The fact that she found it so difficult spoke volumes to her. She knew in her heart of hearts who she wanted, but she also knew that this wasn't the time. She knew she wasn't about to blow up a brotherhood between these two boys.

So—she chose herself. She gave Brandon back the ring, she gave Dylan back the plane tickets and she chose herself. She chose to be alone for the first time in a long time and she felt such a weight lifted off her shoulders. She chose Brandon and Dylan's relationship over her own and she was proud of her choice. She could stop thinking about her love woes and focus on her twins for starters.

But if Dylan and Brandon's friendship hadn't been an issue, the answer was easy. Choosing him in her head was always easy, but her feelings didn't coincide with her reality. Their reality was a broken one. In a perfect world—she would have chosen Dylan. But how could they come back from what was broken? His own shame led to a lack of trust in her which turned to a lack of trust in him. His life had spiralled while she was learning to grow up. Right now, they could do each other no good—but they hoped it wouldn't always be this way.

* * *

While Brandon and Dylan were both crushed, they still respected her choice and backed away. Dylan in particular was doing a very good job at avoiding her. They'd spoken very briefly over the phone about their plans for the summer. They decided that Dylan would take the twins to Hawaii to see Iris for a month and then Kelly would take them with her to New York while she worked for a month. It wasn't the ideal solution but it was the only one they had.

They managed to avoid each other for 3 weeks before Kelly showed up at his door one Tuesday afternoon.

"Hi" Dylan said as Kelly awkwardly shifted on the porch.

"Hi... how's it going?" she asked.

Dylan shrugged, "I've been better."

Kelly sighed, realising she should probably just get straight into it. "Look, I know you're probably still mad at me-"

Dylan shook his head, "I'm not mad at you." he replied.

Kelly looked into his eyes and could see them soften. She knew he was telling the truth, but she didn't know why he was being so understanding. Not when he had been so frantic about them being together in the first place.

"Why not?"

"Because... you said no to me now but—I know there will be a day when you'll say yes."

Kelly smirked, "So, you're just going to wait it out?" She couldn't help but admire his persistence.

"Something like that." he replied. "Is that why you came by? To see if I'm still mad at you?"

"No... I came by to ask if we could put our differences aside for one weekend." she said as Dylan knowingly nodded his head. "It's the twin's first birthday"

"I know Kel"

Kelly awkwardly chuckled, "Of course you know, right..." she said as Dylan tried to hide her smirk at her awkwardness. "Anyway, I want to make it really special and the only way that that is going to be possible is if you and I do this together."

"Come here" he said as he walked into the house and Kelly followed.

He took her out onto the patio and showed her a wooden walker and rocking horse that he had been putting together. Kelly bent down and looked at them in awe. They were really beautiful.

"I figured at the rate they have been pulling themselves up they could use something to help them walk around when our backs get sore from holding their hands..." Dylan explained. "Plus, every little kid needs their own rocking horse."

"You made these?" she asked as she looked up at him.

"Yeah... they'll be ready by the weekend." he said with certainty as Kelly was overwhelmed by how thoughtful and perfect these gifts were. "I figured if I sorted out their gift from us you could sort out the party?" he asked. Clearly he had done some thinking of his own.

"I don't want to claim credit for your gift" she said as she stood back up beside him.

"I don't want to claim credit for your party, so maybe it's a fair trade." he suggested.

Kelly smiled and nodded her head, "Ok, it's a deal. Thank you."

"My pleasure."

"You know... we're not so bad at this co-parenting thing."

Dylan smiled, "No, I guess not."

They looked at each other for a brief moment before Dylan held out his arms and she walked into his hug and closed her eyes, wishing they could stay in this peaceful moment forever.

* * *

That weekend, the gang had all gathered in Kelly and Donna's apartment for the big first birthday bash. Donna had designed Mollie and Tommy the cutest little outfits that Kelly was fairly certain they would hate her for when they were adults—particularly the large pink bow that stuck out of Mollie's curly blonde locks.

"Ok everyone" Kelly said as made sure everyone had a drink in hand before she and Dylan each took a twin. "Time for a toast. Dylan and I would like to thank you guys for coming to celebrate our little bear cubs today and I think the smiles on their faces say how thankful they—and we—are to have all of you here today and in their lives every day."

"To say our lives changed when Mollie and Tommy arrived would be an understatement..." Dylan joked as everyone smiled and chuckled. "While the past year certainly hasn't been perfect, they have been the best thing about it and I don't doubt they will always be the best part of our lives. They are a constant source of joy and love that I don't think I always deserve, yet I know I need." he said as everyone beamed at how true his words were. Everyone had been so excited to meet Kelly and Dylan's babies, but they could never have anticipated how special they would be to them and how their lives wouldn't be as joyful without them.

"So, Mollie, Tommy" Kelly began as everyone held up their glasses. "Momma and daddy love you so so much and we can't wait to see what the next year of your life holds and we can't wait to see your infectious smiles and laughter every day."

"To Mollie and Tommy" Steve reiterated as everyone joined in and clinked glasses.

"Cake time?" David asked as he got his camera out, knowing how messy this was about to get.


	35. The Answers We Seek

_Thank you for your reviews! They're always a lovely way to start my mornings. I genuinely didn't even think about the fact that Mollie and Tommy start with M and T like McKay and Taylor!! Must have been a subconscious choice..._

_So this chapter marks the beginning of season 6. I've written 4 chapters on the season and they're pretty heartbreaking and in a lot of ways beyond frustrating but I think that's what makes a good story... so prepare yourselves__!! I hope__ you enjoy this little introduction on what is to come._

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Five- The Answers We Seek

TWO MONTHS LATER

As summer drew to a close, Kelly had arrived back from New York with more than just a thriving modelling career. She had her two beautiful babies, the world at her feet and also, she had Colin. Colin was a budding painter she had met and the two had instantly hit it off. If anything, Colin was a distraction to real life. That real life being the two boys she left behind in Beverly Hills. It always seemed easier for Kelly to latch on to something new rather than face the world on her own.

After taking the twins to Kelly in New York, Dylan had gone on a little bit of soul searching. He travelled here and there, looking for anything to make him feel whole again, but it was no use. Now that drugs and alcohol were no longer a part of his numbing routine, he was facing a whole load of questions that he had been afraid to find the answers to. The big one on his mind when he arrived back in Beverly Hills from his travels was—who killed his father? He realised this was probably a question he should have addressed a long time ago, but he got so wrapped up in other things. First it was his grief, then it was trying to make it through college, then it was his children, then it was the disintegration of his relationship with Kelly. But now, his mind was clear and open and he was ready to get some answers—no matter the cost.

The first thing Kelly did when she got home was call Dylan. He didn't pick up, but she left him a voicemail telling him to come over whenever he could. She knew he would be desperate to see Mollie and Tommy, but selfishly, she wanted to see him too. They had managed to maintain some sort of friendship over the summer, though they both knew it was pretty shallow with a lot of hidden tension, but it would have to do for now.

When Kelly opened the door to him that evening, she couldn't help but smile. He looked good. He looked healthy and refreshed and it was a huge relief. This time last year, she wouldn't have been saying such positive things.

"Hey, you got my message" she said.

Dylan nodded his head, "Yeah, I couldn't quite wait to see you or the twinnies."

"It's good to see you McKay." Kelly said softly.

"You too Taylor" he said as he delicately ran his thumb over her cheek as a sign of affection. "So, where are my babies?" he said excitedly.

"Come on in" Kelly said with a little laugh as Dylan walked into the living room and saw the twins sitting on their playmat.

"There they are" he said happily as their heads immediately shot up at the sound of their father's voice. They began squealing with excitement and reaching their arms up to him. Dylan laughed, "Oh I am glad to see you too!" he said as he lifted them up and placed kisses all over them. "Man, remember when they would just fit perfectly in my forearms? Now they're big sacks of potatoes..." he said as he blew a raspberry against Mollie's cheek causing her to giggle.

Kelly smiled widely as she ran her hand over Tommy's fair locks, "Yeah they're my little chunky monkeys. They've started standing up all on their own this past month so I don't think it will be too long before they take off and we'll be running after them like crazy."

"Oh, I'm sure they will drive us crazy" Dylan agreed. He often thought about his kids growing up and going through crucial milestones. He wasn't sure he had the _energy_ to deal with two wild toddlers and he wasn't sure he had the _patience_ to deal with two bratty kids who think they know best and he wasn't sure if he had the _emotional control_ to deal with two hormonal teenagers dating. What he did know for certain, however, was that he would love them no matter what. No matter how much they drained him, or how much they tested his patience or how much they made him emotional or worried or angry—they were still his children and he would be there for them through everything. He would be the parent he craved his whole life.

"You have no idea how much I missed you two the past month" he said as they both rested their heads in the crooks of Dylan's neck. This was normally a sign that they were ready for bed and Dylan was the master at rocking them to sleep.

"I'm sorry that you didn't get to see them for a month." Kelly apologised. In an ideal world, they would be spending every day together, but that wasn't their reality. Their reality was a lot different than either of them had imagined when they decided to start their family.

"It's ok, we had a great time in Hawaii." Dylan said. He may have not seen them for a month, but Kelly hadn't seen them for a month before that. It certainly wasn't the ideal solution, but it was the only one they could come up with that seemed remotely fair. "And I know you needed your space..." Dylan added as Kelly shifted awkwardly at the ambiguous reminder of what went down before summer.

It was the most bizarre situation in the world. They gave into temptation knowing that they couldn't be together. No matter how much Kelly wanted to jump on a plane with Dylan, it just couldn't happen. Not when they were in such weird places in their lives. They both knew that getting back together would have ended in complete destruction. They may have needed each other, but they needed to sort out their own heads first.

Dylan looked over to the coffee table and saw Kelly's modelling portfolio sitting. He walked over to the sofa with the twins and sat down.

"These are really beautiful" he said as he managed to sit the twins on his lap so he could free his hands. "This one is my favourite... can I have one?" He teased with a smirk as Kelly playfully rolled her eyes.

"Dylan..." she lightly scolded. "So, how was your summer?" she asked, wanting to keep the tone light between them. Little did she know that that was a bit of a loaded question.

"Well my passport has got a stamp on every page and I'm back where I started" he replied as he leant back on the sofa, lightly running his hand down Mollie's back as she started to fall asleep. Tommy on the other hand was still looking all around him.

"Is that such a bad thing?" Kelly asked. It seemed like a mysterious statement and she didn't really understand it.

Dylan set Tommy onto the couch so he could get into his pocket. He reached out an old pocket watch and handed it to Kelly.

"Do you know what this is?"

"It's your dad's watch" Kelly said immediately. It had been a while since she'd seen this. When they were kids, she was also mesmerized by this shiny gold object Jack lifted out when he walked into the room. She also remembered helping Dylan pack up Jack's things and watching him as he stared at the watch for a while before slipping it into his pocket.

"On my last stop in Mexico I went back to retrieve it. I'd left it at some canteen to cover a bar tab..." Dylan said, recalling how he had to give it up last summer during his spiral.

"I'm glad you got it back, I know it means a lot to you" Kelly said as she handed it back to him.

"Yeah... but I'll never get _him_ back." Dylan said with a gulp. "Until I find out who killed Jack I can't go back to anything or anybody. If I did, I might destroy the things and the people I love most in this world." he confessed, Kelly knew he was talking about her and the twins. "Jack's things are in a storage facility in the Valley, I made an appointment to go and look through everything."

"You think you're going to get some answers in a bunch of old papers?" Kelly questioned. Kelly remembered being there when Dylan was putting away all Jack's stuff. There were stacks upon stacks of paper, there's no way Dylan would find anything in there. It was like finding a needle in a haystack.

"I don't know but I need to start somewhere." Dylan told her. "Come with me?" he asked.

Kelly shook her head, "I don't know if that's such a good idea..."

"Why not? You were there when he died Kelly, you knew him better than anybody else in my life did. I can't do it alone... _I need you_." he said, practically begging her.

_I need you_. Three words that always sucked Kelly in from when they were kids to right now. They instantly made her think of their pact. They promised to always be there when they were needed, so who was Kelly to say no? She wanted Dylan to get his answers, but she was afraid he would run into trouble while doing so.

She was also afraid that he would get between another of her relationships. She had told him about Colin a few weeks ago when they spoke briefly on the phone, but they had yet to meet. Kelly knew Dylan wouldn't like him—he probably wouldn't like _anybody_ she dated.

"Just as friends" Kelly made clear. The way he was looking at her right now was telling a different story. He always looked at her like he had more on his mind than a friendly conversation.

Dylan smirked lightly; "The moment you got up at The Peach Pit and sang Frank Sinatra with me was the moment we stopped being friends..." he countered as Kelly was about to protest—no matter how right he was. "But..." he continued as Kelly closed her mouth. "Right now, all I need is a friend." he made clear, almost with a hint of sadness in his voice. Kelly nodded her head as Dylan finally turned his gaze away from her and down at Mollie who had fallen asleep in his arms while Tommy was still bashing some toys beside him. "We should get these two to bed" Dylan said as he lifted Mollie and walked towards their room while Kelly took a deep breath, lifted Tommy up and followed suit.

* * *

The following day, after leaving Tommy and Mollie with Donna for the afternoon, Dylan and Kelly made their way round to Jack's storage locker in search of their answers. They sat with what seemed like mountains of boxes in front of them and began sifting through the papers.

"My old man had a way with a cheque book, look at this" Dylan said as he lifted out some of his father's cheques. "His bar tab for one month at the beach club—three grand." It certainly was a lot of money for one month, but at the same time Dylan wasn't even remotely surprised.

"That's a lot of martinis" Kelly joked. "Did you find anything else?"

"His divorce agreement, it's quite a read. Iris got 6 million cash to disappear..." Dylan read. While the agreement had worked out pretty well for him in the end, there would always be a part of him that hurt over his mother just taking off like that.

"At least your dad wanted you. Mine left when I was two. What was wrong with him?" Kelly challenged. Jack may not have been the best of fathers but he always loved Dylan—even if he was terrible at showing it. Bill Taylor was more interested in throwing cash and gifts at Kelly than having a relationship with her.

"He's still alive" Dylan reminded her. Maybe it wasn't too late for them.

"He might as well be dead as much as I see him..." Kelly grumbled.

"We may have had sucky parents Kel but I think in a weird and twisted way it was good for us." Dylan comments as Kelly frowned.

"How is having bad parents good for us?" she questioned.

"Because they taught us how _not_ to be a parent, so, if we're ever struggling over how to parent Tommy or Mollie in a situation we can think—what would my parents do? And then we do the exact opposite." he half joked as Kelly scoffed. Unfortunately, he was right, much to Kelly's dismay. The tactic had certainly worked to their advantage—they hadn't had any major parenting disasters yet (the beginning was a little rough and the Finley thing could have gone south but thankfully they redeemed themselves.)

"What's that?" Kelly asked as Dylan picked up a notebook.

"It's Jack's notebook from prison" He said as he flicked through it. "Seems he kept track of all his betting games... His cell mate was into him for quite a bit..."

"Maybe you should collect."

"Yeah, maybe I should. He probably knows a lot about him sharing a 5 by 9 room for two years." Dylan said as he looked sadly downwards.

Kelly studied his face and saw the sadness that drifted over it. "You still miss him, don't you?" she asked quietly.

"Everyday. Whoever took him away from me is going to pay for it." He said vengefully.

Kelly had never seen Dylan like this before. Fear and worry over what Dylan might do next swept over her. "You're serious?" she asked. She thought he'd look for information, ask around, maybe call the police. She didn't expect him to take it on himself.

"I'm dead serious." he said as he looked her in the eye.

He was about to turn away when Kelly rested her hand on his chin and gently turned him back to look at her.

"Please be careful." she said, taking her turn to beg. "No matter what is going on between us... I couldn't bare it if anything happened to you." she said quietly. Her heart and her soul would break in two if she lost him completely.

Dylan leaned in to kiss her and she was about to stop him, but at the last minute, she gave in. It's like his touch was her fuel and if she didn't have it, she wouldn't be able to go on. The kiss was sweet and tender. The last time they kissed it was full of desire and need and passion. This time, his kiss just spoke of love and affection.

When he pulled away Kelly gulped in order to gather her thoughts and take control of her emotions. The last time she let this happen, her relationship with Brandon crumbled. She was trying to learn from her mistakes, she was trying to grow up, so she knew she couldn't do this to Colin.

"We can't do this... I told you there's someone else." she said as their noses brushed.

"There's _always_ someone else." Dylan instantly replied. He was right. No matter who they were with they always wound up back in each other's arms.

"We're over Dylan." she told him, feeling her heart thump a little louder at that fact. "You don't need me anymore." she added.

"Don't you see? I'll _always_ need you... and you'll always need me." Dylan replied.

"Why do I always need you?" she asked in a whisper. She knew the answer, but she couldn't say it out loud. She had to at least give the illusion that he wasn't making her heart jump out of her chest.

"To remind you what it feels like to be truly _alive_."

* * *

Soon after their moment, Kelly and Dylan decided to call it a day and head back home. When they got back to the apartment, they saw Donna sitting on the floor with the twins while they played.

"Hey, how were they?" Kelly asked as Donna stood and walked over to them.

"Wonderful as usual" Donna said with a smile.

"Mama, dada!" Mollie said happily as she got to her feet—and started walking towards them.

Kelly and Dylan froze, _"Oh my god Dylan_." she said in a whisper before her excitement got the better of her and she started jumping up and down lightly, her face beaming. "Mollie, baby!" she said as she clapped her hands together and Mollie stumbled in their direction, her little hands up in the air trying to balance herself. "Dylan, Dylan, get my camera, _get my camera_!" she said as she whacked his arm.

Dylan rushed over to the drawers by the door and tried to find her camera while also keeping his eyes on Mollie.

"Where is it?!" he asked desperately, not wanting to miss another second of this.

"Hurry up Dylan!"

"It isn't here!" he shouted back. He looked back at Kelly and Mollie and saw that Kelly had stopped jumping and was just standing with her hands over her heart smiling brightly at Mollie as she walked towards her. It was the sweetest moment and Dylan knew he would remember the looks on their faces forever.

"She's walking" Kelly said in a quiet voice, full of pride and emotion.

Dylan walked back to stand beside her just as Mollie made it to them. She grabbed on to Dylan's legs and he swiftly lifted her up in the air as she giggled while Dylan and Kelly smothered her with kisses.

"My girl's a champ!" Dylan said as he hugged Mollie closely.

"And we get to go through all this excitement twice, don't we Tommy?" Kelly said as she walked towards her son and lifted him up.

"I already know my little man's going to be a rocket when it's his turn" Dylan said as he ran his hand down Tommy's hair.

"Yeah" Kelly said with a proud smile. She then looked up at Dylan and smiled softly as he rested his cheek lovingly against Mollie's hair. "Hey. No matter how good or bad our summers may have been, no matter the questions we have or the answers we need to find, no matter where you and I are at—we'll always have this."

"Yeah. _Always_." Dylan agreed.


	36. Holding on and Letting Go

_So I found this chapter quite hard to write. I felt like there was so much I wanted to say to describe their feelings in these moments and I just don't know if I articulated it very well... but I hope you enjoy it (as much as you can enjoy this particular part of the story)._

_Let me know your thoughts!_

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Six- Holding on and Letting Go

Over the next few months, Dylan worked hard to try and find the answers he was looking for. After initially trying to get Kelly on board with his plan, he ultimately decided that it was probably best to leave her out of it. He was essentially opening Pandora's box and he had no idea where it would take him. Considering they now had Tommy and Mollie to think about, he decided to do this on his own.

His sleuthing eventually led him down the path of Tony Marchette. According to Jack's old cell mate, Marchette had been behind the car bombing and Dylan was ready to enact revenge. He wasn't sure how or what he was going to do, but he managed to find a way in—Marchette's daughter Toni. Initially, he was just using her, but somehow, she managed to swoop in and make him feel alive again. There was only one other person in the world who could make him feel like this so he figured she must be special. The first time he really realised this was one Friday evening. He was feeding Tommy before putting him to sleep when there was a knock at the door and Toni appeared behind it.

"Hi" he said, a little stunned to see her.

"Hi... do you run a babysitting service?" she queried as they both looked down at Tommy as he continued to take his bottle.

"Uh... only on Monday, Tuesday and Friday nights" he replied. "This little chugger is Tommy and his twin sister Mollie is out cold in her crib." he joked as Toni smiled lightly.

"Are they yours?"

"Yeah. They're mine." he said proudly as Tommy started to fall asleep.

"Wow. I would not have pegged you as a dad" she said. She may not have pegged him as one but she loved that he was. It was very sweet.

"Life can surprise you in the best of ways" he said as he gently twisted his body to keep Tommy calm while he took his bottle.

Toni delicately ran her thumb over Tommy's tiny hand. "He's precious Dylan"

"I know... so, why are you here so late?" he asked, surprised that she was here.

"Well, I wanted to see if you wanted to go night surfing, but I see your hands are full. I should have come by on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday or Sunday" she joked, referring to his casual custody agreement with Kelly.

Dylan quirked an eyebrow, "Night surfing, huh?"

"Yeah... but I'll just settle for good night instead." she said with a smirk.

"You don't have a telephone?"

"I can't kiss you over the phone." she replied as she leant forward and delicately kissed him, leaving him a little stunned. "Goodnight Dylan... and goodnight to you too Tommy." she whispered before disappearing.

Things took off from there and Dylan found himself falling more and more for her every day. She was accepting and loving and caring and all he wanted to do was introduce her to his friends. He even wanted Kelly to meet her. Despite the circumstances, he really felt like they would get on, and he was right. They did get along, though it was a little awkward at times. Dylan had told Toni all about his past with Kelly, which wasn't something anyone could be casual about. But Toni still accepted it and she accepted Dylan for all that he was—not many people could do that.

Part of Dylan wondered if that's why he and Kelly didn't work out. Because maybe she didn't accept him for all his faults and fables. He didn't like to dwell on it—what was the point? He also knew in his heart that that just wasn't true. Kelly was the only person who had ever taken him for what he was and never tried to change him. Right now, she was just letting him work things out for himself.

Dylan wasn't the only person who had often wondered where it all went wrong. While on a road-trip with Kelly, Claire and Donna, _Valerie_ decided that they should have no secrets and also just have a bit of fun. She started out simple. Who was your _first_ kiss? Who was your _best_ kiss? Who do you _wish_ you could kiss? And then, she stepped it up a notch.

"Who was your best sexual experience?" she asked.

Kelly rolled her eyes, "Valerie, _no."_ she warned. That wasn't something she liked talking about. Not when it hurt her heart to think of.

"Oh come _on_! Why not?!" she asked.

"Because it's a very personal thing."

Valerie quirked an eyebrow, "Well, that just screams to me that you have something to hide."

"I have nothing to hide, I just think some things should be kept private..." Kelly said as she sunk quietly into her seat.

Kelly remained pretty quiet for the rest of the trip. Valerie's question had really struck a nerve with her. She knew her answer, but it was a difficult thing to think about let alone talk about. She didn't know what came over her that night as they sat in some bar, but she found herself walking over to Valerie ready to confess. She thought that somehow she would feel better if she got it out. Maybe she'd feel less terrible at the thought of them both moving on and never experiencing something like it again.

Kelly wrapped her arms around her body and sat beside her at the bar, "You asked me earlier what my best sexual experience was... I didn't want to tell you because it still causes me a little bit of heart ache thinking about it."

Valerie nodded her head as she started to put two and two together. "It was Dylan... wasn't it?" she asked. How could it _not_ be Dylan? She and Kelly weren't exactly friends but she still noticed how difficult Kelly found it to see Dylan with Toni and she knew _all_ about Dylan's problems with Kelly seeing Brandon and now Colin.

"Yeah. It was the night I'm fairly certain Tommy and Mollie came into existence." she said with a little laugh. "We had just been out for Donna's birthday in China Town and the Santa Anas were blowing like crazy and I don't know what it is about those winds but... at the time I put it down to temporary insanity. Dylan and I were barely speaking and then all of a sudden we had the most real and intimate and special moment in our entire lives... and that definitely _wasn't_ insanity." Kelly recalled as she looked ahead of her with a sense of wonder on her face. Talking about this was a lot easier than she had anticipated. "It was just pure, unadulterated, passionate _love_. We obviously didn't realise we'd made two little humans at the time but I think the reason I felt so calm when we decided to keep the babies was because I knew they were an embodiment of that love and that no matter what happened to me or to Dylan, they would always be living proof that our love existed and that it was _real_ and _true_. They are our hearts walking around on the Earth. They are from a night where I'd never felt more loved."

Valerie looked at Kelly in awe. She wasn't sure she'd ever heard something so romantic before. She also couldn't believe that Kelly was telling_ her_ this of all people.

"Why did you tell me that?" she asked quietly.

Kelly shrugged, "I thought it might help to say it out loud... but I don't think that feeling I get when I think about it is ever going to go away... and I don't think I want it to."

Valerie shook her head, "Sometimes I don't understand you two..."

Kelly looked at her, "Why?"

"You're so in love with each other, but you refuse to be together. It doesn't make any sense. Why would you not want that?" she asked.

Kelly often wondered this too. She often wondered why they couldn't just get it together, but she knew it wasn't that simple. It could _never_ be that simple.

"No matter how much you love someone, you have to think of yourself too. When Dylan and I first started dating we were both in a really good place, but since then a lot has happened that's changed who we are and what we need. I needed to grow up and learn how to catch myself and not have Dylan as a safety net. He needed to grow up and stop self-destructing at every available opportunity... and to not use _me_ as a safety net either. I think if two people are going to work out together, they need to know who they are as individuals. They need to have independence and direction. Until we get that... or_ if_ we ever get that... we would crash and burn without it."

"That's a pretty selfless view." Valerie concluded. Maybe she had been unfair to Kelly after all this time. "You could run to him at any time yet... you don't." Everyone knew that if Kelly came to him, he would go back to her in a heartbeat. There was maybe a little uncertainty now, however, that Toni was in the picture.

"That's love. It's learning when to hold on... and when to let go."

Kelly knew that no matter how they might feel about each other, they were in a good place right now and they were going to run with it as long as possible. They were friends, their babies were healthy, they had Colin and Toni. Kelly truly believed this was where they were meant to be in life right at this moment, despite what they had lost.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, things progressed well for Dylan and Toni. They spent every moment they could together, as well as with the twins, who were really fond of 'Toto' as they called her. Much fonder of her than they were of Colin anyway. The guy didn't really care much about them. Dylan and Toni even took in a stray black kitten that arrived on their doorstep. Dylan was reluctant at first;

_"The last thing we need in this house is a black cat, that is bad luck, that is a disaster waiting to happen, it'll eat the twins or something."_ he'd protested.

Toni laughed at Dylan's unreasonable fears, _"I think the twins are more likely to eat the kitten than the other way around..."_

Dylan eventually gave in when he saw how excited Mollie and Tommy were by the kitten. He was constantly having to tell them to be careful though while they stroked the kitten for fear that they would get scratched and Kelly would go _through_ him.

Dylan wasn't quite sure what came over him one afternoon a few weeks after Halloween. He was sitting in his living room reading while Toni sat beside him, putting pictures into an album for Dylan. She'd noticed that he was constantly snapping pictures of Mollie and Tommy, but they were just sitting on his camera undeveloped, so she went out and printed them for him and was now putting together a little memories book. He watched her as she put it together and just thought it was the kindest thing. Toni had loved his children like they were her own from the moment she met them and he knew that wasn't an easy thing to do. He knew he didn't want to let her slip away from him.

So- he asked her to marry him.

* * *

Kelly made her way into the Walsh house with two very snotty and teary twins in her arms. They had experienced their first earthquake this afternoon while they were at daycare and they were scared senseless. They cried for _two hours_ after Kelly picked them up and she and Colin drove them around the bloc five times before they started to calm down. It broke Kelly's heart seeing them so scared and now seeing them with their puffy eyes. She set them down by the box of toys Brandon and Steve kept for them in the living room just as the doorbell went. Everyone else was engulfed in their own conversations about the quake so Kelly jumped over to the door to greet whoever was behind it.

"Happy earth quake!" she joked before stopping herself when she saw Dylan and Toni on the other side. "Oh, hi" she said with a little giggle as Dylan smirked at her bubbly greeting. "How you doing?" she asked as they came into the house.

"Yeah, we're fine. How are the twins?" he asked immediately.

_"Dada!"_ Mollie cried when she saw her dad before bursting into tears and holding her arms out for him.

Dylan frowned and rushed towards her, "Oh, my girl! Did the earth quake scare you?" he asked as he lifted her him and she immediately flung her little arms around his shoulders and buried her head in his neck while Dylan soothingly rubbed her back.

"It's been a rough day for these two" Kelly said as she picked Tommy up.

"And now for the biggest jolt of all..." Dylan said as he looked at Toni who smiled softly at him.

"This wasn't the biggest earth quake we've had Dylan" Donna informed him as the others finally turned their attention over to the new arrivals.

"I wasn't talking about the Richter scale Donna."

Kelly frowned, "What were you talking about?"

Dylan took a breath before blurting out what he came here to say, "we're getting married."

Everyone froze. _Married?_ _Dylan_ was getting married?

Dylan was marrying _Toni?_

Dylan _wasn't_ marrying Kelly?

No one really knew what to say. They didn't expect Dylan to jump into something like this so fast._ Especially_ with Tony Marchette's daughter. In all honesty, they thought it was just a phase.

Eventually they all erupted into various choruses of congratulations. Everyone except Kelly that was. She took a step back from everyone and held Tommy that little bit tighter as he balanced on her hip.

Dylan was getting married.

Dylan was marrying someone other than her.

Dylan told her this in front of everybody.

… _Dylan_ _was_ _getting_ _married._

Kelly had no idea what she was supposed to feel, but she knew that in this moment... it didn't feel good.

* * *

For the rest of the day, Kelly did her best to avoid all eye contact with Dylan. She thought if she looked at him even once she might break. She felt selfish and cruel for feeling down about it all. She was the one who turned him down after all. Surely she had no right to feel this way. She knew she should have expected Dylan to move on, but she never really allowed herself to go there. Now that it had actually happened, it was like a knife in her heart.

She managed to get Dylan alone at the Peach Pit that night while he was taking out the trash. She had no idea how she was going to approach the topic, but she knew they had to start somewhere.

"Hi" she said as Dylan threw the bag in the bin and turned around to look at her.

"Hi" he replied quietly. "I uh... I didn't really want you to find out like that" he said honestly. He figured they better just get straight to it.

Kelly folded her arms, "Yet you did it anyway. It was a pretty sucky thing to do Dylan."

"I know-"

"Real sensitive just walking in and announcing it like it was no big deal" Kelly said, raising her voice slightly. It was one thing for them to be dating other people but to marry someone else? That was so much bigger and deserved a lot more sensitivity than how it was announced.

"I did think about your feelings Kel, I just said I didn't want you to find out like that-"

"Then why did you do it?!"

"Because it was too _damn hard_!" he shouted back as Kelly fell silent. "I didn't know how I could look you in the eye and tell you that I was marrying someone else so—I was a coward. I took the easy way out and I am sorry."

Kelly nodded her head and looked at her feet. "_Soulmates_..." she mumbled. "You said we were soulmates... where was Toni in your dreams?" she challenged quietly. She knew it was unfair. How could she be mad when she'd moved on too? She guessed this just felt a lot more permanent than what she had done.

"I don't know Kelly, but what I do know is that _I love her_. I love her right _now_. Shouldn't that be enough?" Dylan questioned. He felt so many conflicting emotions right now. Anger at Kelly, love for Kelly, sadness for what they'd lost, joy for what he'd found. He wasn't sure he'd ever find a way to express it fully. He never expected to be standing here, talking to her about his marriage to someone else. Not when he didn't think it was possible to love someone as much as he loved her.

"I'm happy for you." Kelly forced herself to say as she turned around and walked back to the door. What else was she supposed to say?

"Yeah, you sound _thrilled_ Kel." Dylan shot back. He'd rather she was cruel and angry about it than stand there and lie to him.

"How am I supposed to sound Dylan?!"

"I don't know but _I asked you first._" he shot as his eyes glistened with tears and Kelly felt like she had been punched in the stomach. "But you chose _you_."

"You offered me a trip around the world. _Not_ a marriage." she reminded him.

"I had plans Kel. If I was going to propose to you, it wasn't going to be after you'd fallen over while _rollerblading_. I also wouldn't have done it in a desperate bid to keep you." he said, making a cheap dig at Brandon's proposal. Dylan wasn't convinced Brandon really wanted to marry Kelly. He just wanted to keep her away from _him._

"You were going to propose to me?"

Dylan nodded his head, "One day. But in that moment? I know you wouldn't have said yes. _You_ know you wouldn't have said yes. So, I didn't ask."

Kelly nodded her head and looked at her feet. She wondered if this was one of the moments she would look back on in her life and have an overwhelming feeling of regret. She knew that everything she had told Valerie a while back was true and she stood by it, but a huge part of her just wanted to let all her inhibitions go and run to him and be with him... but she'd lost her chance. He'd found happiness away from her—who was she to try and ruin that for him?

"What right do I have to be mad?" she questioned out loud. "I dated your best friend. We're not together and that was my choice. I have no right to feel anything... so why do I feel like a piece of me is being ripped away?" she asked. Dylan didn't know what to say, so he just didn't say anything. "I want to hate her so bad..." Kelly continued. She didn't want to make Dylan feel guilty and she knew she had to support him._ "...but I can't."_ Kelly wiped away a stray tear. "She is so nice and she adores my babies... and she adores _you._" If she couldn't be with him, then Toni was exactly the kind of person she wanted Dylan to have. "I genuinely hope you will be _so_ happy together." she said sincerely as Dylan gulped at her words.

"I hope so too." He replied, finally hearing the sincerity in her words, though they were clearly painful to say. "Maybe... maybe we each have more than one soul mate." Dylan suggested.

"Yeah. Maybe." Kelly replied—but she knew that wasn't true. She knew he was it for her and she let him slip away.

Kelly quickly turned around and went back inside. Dylan involuntarily reached out for her, but she was gone. He rested his hand against the door longingly, his mind filled with questions and uncertainties. They'd had what they'd had and that was that. It seemed so cruel that something so wonderful could be gone in such an instant, but he was hopeful for his future. He was hopeful for his life with Toni. He and Kelly's time had passed and it was good but it wasn't meant to last... _right?_

* * *

Kelly managed to put all her emotions to the side and throw Toni a bachelorette party. She then even offered her apartment to Toni the day before the wedding so she had a place to get ready (considering she'd cut all ties with her father.) One thing Dylan and Toni had decided for their wedding was that they wanted it to be private. The only people they would have was Brandon as their witness and Tommy and Mollie too. He knew they probably wouldn't remember this, but he still wanted to look back on his wedding day and see them there. Aside from wanting to keep it personal, Dylan wasn't convinced that he could stand up there and marry Toni with Kelly sitting in the audience. It just didn't seem fair or right no matter how much she meant to him.

"I hope you guys don't mind not being there for the wedding, Dylan wanted it to be private, just us and the twins." Toni said to Kelly as she helped her prepare some dinner the night before the wedding.

Kelly smiled, "I hope they manage to stay still for long enough and not make any noise." she joked, not wanting to address the fact that she wouldn't be at her best friend's wedding (not that she really had a right to call him her best friend anymore). Part of her was more than ok not being there, it would be a difficult thing to watch, but if someone had told a 16-year-old Kelly that she wouldn't be at Dylan's wedding she would have _lost it._

"Dylan already has some bribes ready so I think we'll be ok. He knows they're not going to remember this, but he wanted them there more than anything." Toni told her.

"And they will be. I have extra bribes ready on the side too..." she joked as Toni smiled at her.

They stood in silence for a few moments before Toni decided this was the perfect time to maybe address the huge elephant in the room. They'd never spoken about Kelly's relationship with Dylan, why would they? But she felt like it was something they should probably at least acknowledge. She didn't want to seem like she didn't care about what they had, because—she did. Kelly made Dylan the man he is today and she would be forever grateful for that.

"Kelly, I know this is probably strange for you... and I think it's a little strange for Dylan too. He loved you so much, he still does." Toni said.

Kelly gulped and nodded her head, "Dylan and I had what we had and we will always love each other and we will always be a family... and now you will always be a part of that too."

Toni smiled. She never expected Kelly to be so kind and welcoming to her. She knew in that moment that whatever issues Kelly and Dylan had with each other, nothing would ever change how much they supported one another and how much they would always be there. They would always be the best of friends.

"I also just wanted to say that I will love your babies like they are my own and I will always be in their corner." Toni added.

"Thank you. They'll be lucky to have another person to love them. An abundance of love is all Dylan and I have ever wanted for them. Now, go get some sleep, you're getting married tomorrow!" Kelly said as she gave her a wide smile.

"Yes, I am!" Toni said happily as she quickly hugged Kelly before bouncing of to her room.

* * *

Dylan had always been a bit of an anxious soul. He felt with good reason too. Anytime something started to go right for him, it was quickly taken away. It often made him careless and it often made him make some really stupid mistakes. It was how he lost Kelly after all. But this time, he let himself enjoy his time with Toni. He let himself live without fear and without regret.

But he should have known better. He should have kept his guard up. He should have known that his world would come crumbling around him _again._

In a hit planned for Dylan, Tony Marchette accidentally shot and killed his daughter while she was driving Dylan's car.

The loss Dylan had in his life just felt cruel and pedestrian now. Everything he touched just seemed to turn to ashes and there was nothing he could do. It was like the universe had it out for him. How was he ever supposed to come back from this? How was any of this fair?

The day after her funeral, Dylan stood in his living room just staring at her wedding dress that hung on the patio door. It was a painful reminder of what felt like a distant memory already. Suddenly, there was a light knock at his door. The last thing he wanted to do was speak to someone right now, but he answered it anyway. When he opened it, he saw Kelly standing on the other side.

"Hi" she said quietly.

"Hi" he replied, waiting for her to explain why she was here.

"I know you don't want any company right now but uh... I thought maybe you could do with seeing these two." Kelly said.

Dylan looked down and saw Mollie and Tommy standing beside her, each with one arm wrapped around Kelly's legs. He hadn't even noticed them at first, but he felt his mind settle when he saw them staring up at him.

He slowly bent down to their height and held out his arms, trying to fight the tears that were forming in his eyes. Mollie and Tommy immediately let go of Kelly and jumped into Dylan's arms. He fell onto his behind as he held them tightly against him. He was desperate not to have them see him so sad, but he could barely hold it together. He just loved them so much and even in his darkest days, they made him feel alive again.

"I uh... I'm going to run some errands." Kelly said as she stepped away.

_"Stay."_ Dylan suddenly said as his head shot up. Kelly stopped and looked at him surprised. _"Please stay._" he begged as his voice broke and he _burst_ into tears.

Kelly immediately slid to the floor beside him and held him tightly as the family of four hugged each other somehow trying to sooth Dylan's pain.

* * *

A short while later, Dylan was sitting on the sofa while Mollie and Tommy slept in his arms and Kelly made some dinner in the kitchen. The whole day he'd been contemplating what his next move should be. Just when he seemed to have some direction, he was thrown off track and he just couldn't do it anymore. He couldn't sit around here while his life went to pot, he couldn't sit around and wait for him to screw up his children's lives too.

"I don't think I have ever loved something as much as I love you two" Dylan whispered to the twins. He knew they couldn't hear him, but it was still important to him that he said this. "And that's saying something because I love your mom a heck of a lot." he said with a little laugh. In that moment, he made a decision. He had no idea if it was the right decision or not, but it felt like it was in that moment. He felt like it was something he had to do to get better. He knew if he stayed he'd probably go down a very dark path that he couldn't come back from. He needed to work out how everything he touched was destroyed "You're probably not going to understand why I have to do this... I don't fully understand myself, but what I do know is that—I need to be better. I need to get better so that I can be a dad that you both deserve. So, I'm going to go away for a while, but I promise I'll never be too far away. We'll talk all the time, we'll see each other all the time... and then one day, we can be together every day. That is a promise." he said as he held them that little big tighter against him.

So, that's exactly what he did. He got on his motorcycle and he left Beverly Hills. He didn't tell Kelly about his plans while she was with him. He knew she would have tried to convince him to stay and it would have led to more tears and more heart ache. So instead as he said goodbye to Brandon, he handed him a letter to pass on to Kelly.

_"... he's really gone?"_ Kelly asked in a whisper as Brandon handed her the letter.

_"Yeah. He's gone."_

Kelly felt like someone had knocked the wind out of her. She was so mad that he'd left. She was so mad that there was probably nothing she could have done to convince him to stay. She was mad that she couldn't help him anymore in his grief. She was so mad that he thought he was the destructive element in the lives of thos he loved.

She also wanted to be mad that he didn't bother saying goodbye in person, but Dylan always struggled to say things out loud. Writing was much more his style, and she knew that whatever was in this letter would be so eloquently and perfectly put that she wouldn't have wanted him to say goodbye in any other way.

_Kel, since you're reading this, Brandon has told you that I'm gone. I don't know where yet, but I promise to call you when I do. I don't think I can put into words how broken I feel right now. I got my revenge, but at the cost of a part of my soul. In the midst of all the sadness, there was one thing that kept me together—the two little monsters we made. They are the biggest light in my life, but right now, I can't be a good light in theirs. They deserve better than what I can give and while this is something you or they might not understand—I hope you will forgive me, and know that I will come back and be the best father I can be._

_I think apart from Mollie and Tommy, I will miss you most of all. It is the most beautiful thing in the world that you could make my heart beat so fast when I don't want it to beat at all. You have always given me purpose and meaning. I love you immensely and I always will. Despite what you think Kel—I'll always need you._

_Goodbye Kel, see you real soon._

_Dylan x_

* * *

_Don't hate me and don't forget to leave a review..._


	37. Pain Management

_S__o, the last chapter was an interesting one and a whole lot of content to digest. You all seem to agree that it was pretty heartbreaking. A lot of you have said that you don't think Dylan really loved Toni like he loved Kelly and on the most part I agree, but I also think she was incredibly important to him and I didn't want to diminish that. Like he told Kelly, in that moment, he loved Toni-- but that that doesn't mean he loved Kelly any less. He did ask her first after all..._

_Having Dylan still leave in this story seemed like the right thing to do despite the twins and just because he's left BH doesn't mean we won't still see him_ _as you will soon see_. _My goal over the season 5 and 6 content is just to show that Kelly and Dylan are still so young. They are still flawed and they don't necessarily make the best choices in the path to growing up and the path that ultimately leads back to one another. It's just made a heck of a lot more complicated with two kids. Right now, Dylan felt like he was destroying everything in his path and he didn't want to destory Kelly and the twins, so he left. Whether that was the right choice or not is up for debate._ _It's Kelly's turn to make some bad and questionable choices this chapter. They certainly aren't particularly likable right now and definitely are not model parents, but let's hope that changes..._ _enjoy! _

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Seven- Pain Management

Ever since Dylan had left Beverly Hills, Kelly hadn't been herself. She'd been distant and depressed and everybody had noticed it. When they thought about it some more, no one could blame her for feeling this way. Dylan had been a constant in her life since she was 5 years old and now, he was just gone with no indication of when he might come back. They'd been through so much together and no matter how difficult they could make life for each other, it was hard to imagine a world in which Dylan and Kelly weren't a dynamic, magnetic duo—friends or otherwise.

So, while Kelly tried to figure out her life without Dylan in it, she mainly kept herself to herself. She spent time with Colin, she went to college, she looked after Mollie and Tommy, but she didn't do much else. Her friends were worried that she was going down a path that could be difficult to come back from. They didn't think there was any point in Kelly moping around the place in Dylan's absence.

The twins were also struggling with Dylan's absence. They couldn't quite understand that when they shouted for him, he wouldn't come or why all the toys that were normally kept at Dylan's house were now being kept in the apartment. They were too little to understand why he had gone, but he had been sending them countless letters in the mail for them to open when they got older and had questions. He hoped he could one day explain it to them himself, but he treated these as a just in case.

A few months after Dylan had left, Kelly had what her friends thought was a break through. Her father had turned up claiming to want to be a part of her life again. Kelly was sceptical at first, but after a few days it seemed like he had finally grown up after all this time. Jackie had warned her about getting too close, but Kelly didn't care. She was determined to not let another man walk out of her life.

Her optimism had been misplaced, however. She should have known better than to think that he could change. He let her down once again. He took off, leaving her with a big cheque and a broken heart. Kelly was sick of feeling unwanted by the one person who was supposed to love her most in this world. So, when she opened her drawer and saw a vile of cocaine that she had confiscated from Colin—she took it.

* * *

"Ok, the nanny is here with the twins and I am _so_ late, I was supposed to meet my dad for breakfast." Donna said as she frantically rushed around the apartment in front of Claire. It had been two weeks since Kelly's dad disaster and Donna and Claire had noticed things were a little strange with Kelly.

"When was the last time you saw Kel?" Claire asked. She was wondering why Kelly yet again was not here to let the nanny in.

Donna sighed, "I've only seen her a handful of times in the last two weeks. I've been babysitting for her pretty much every night and when I'm not the twins are with Jackie or you." she replied. She was worried about her friend. This just wasn't like her. She spent all the time she could with the twins, but now it was like they didn't exist- and it certainly wasn't Donna's responsibility to look after them.

"I'm worried about her. I've called her a bunch of times at Colin's but she's not picking up. What does she think she's doing pawning off her kids to someone else?" Claire asked. She had never been one to beat around the bush.

"It's really not like her, those kids are her life." Donna said. She just couldn't understand why this was happening. "Do you think Colin's still getting high?" she asked quietly. Maybe his problems had been taking up all of Kelly's attention. "Maybe she's trying to deal with that and doesn't want to get the twins involved." she suggested, trying to think the best of her friend, despite what her gut was telling her.

Claire scoffed, "Yeah, I think he's still getting high—but I don't think she's trying to help him. I think he's dragging her down with him."

Donna shook her head, "No way, not Kel. She would never touch the stuff, not after everything with Dylan or her mother."

Claire simply nodded her head. She wasn't so convinced that Kelly could stay clear of the stuff just because Dylan and Jackie had a hard time with it. Colin could be convincing when he wanted to be, and Claire figured Kelly would do about anything to numb the pain she had been in the past while. Between both Dylan and her dad taking off, it was a lot for a girl to deal with—_especially_ a girl with abandonment issues.

* * *

Kelly spent the next few days buying her friends what Valerie termed 'guilt gifts' and avoiding going home to see her babies. She was constantly pawning them off onto Claire or Donna and they were getting a little tired of it. They loved Mollie and Tommy a heck of a lot, but they couldn't play mommy to them. That wasn't fair to anybody.

Nobody quite wanted to believe what Valerie said was right in front of their eyes. It just didn't sound like Kelly. She was normally so responsible. The only person who was starting to buy into Valerie's theories was David. He'd had struggled with drugs before, so he knew the signs, and he was seeing them in Kelly.

He was sitting in the Peach Pit one Saturday morning when he was surprised to see Kelly walk in with the twins. After what Donna and Claire had said, it seemed Kelly wasn't really spending an awful lot of time with them, but maybe she'd had a change of heart.

"Hey Kel, twinnies, pull up a stool—and some high chairs" he said as Kelly pushed their pram over beside David.

"Oh no I'm just picking up some stuff" Kelly said with a sniff—which didn't go unnoticed by David.

"Well, if it isn't my favourite three customers" Nat greeted as he waved down at the twins who smiled and waved back. "What will it be?"

"Two pieces of Peach Pie and two baby slices please" Kelly requested.

"Coming right up" Nat confirmed as he walked away.

"Sure you can't stay?" David asked. He really wanted to talk to her and try and get to the bottom of this.

Kelly shook her head, "No, I'm meeting Colin at his place."

"... with the twins?" David asked. The last place he wanted his niece and nephew to be was Colin's art studio turned drug den.

"Yeah, of course, I'm not just going to abandon them." Kelly said with a laugh—how ironic.

David sighed, "I hate to say it but Colin's not exactly the top of my A list."

"Colin's not doing drugs anymore." Kelly lied. "Neither am I."

"You quit? Cold turkey?" David asked, surprised that she was a) confessing she'd done them in the first place and b) just quit without any help and was doing perfectly fine.

"Things just got out of control for me, it was like a binge." Kelly said, brushing it off as if it was no big deal.

"Yeah, like a reaction to bad news with my dad and... Dylan..." Kelly said, saying his name quietly. She really didn't like to think about it too much.

"Right... crying is a reaction to bad news. Insomnia, blowing off homework—not doing coke." David challenged.

Kelly's head snapped around, "What is your problem David? You're _not_ your sister's keeper."

"Somebody's got to be." He replied immediately. David looked into Kelly's eyes and saw how bloodshot they were. He also noticed as she constantly sniffed and rubbed her nose. She wasn't clean. There was no way in _hell_ she was clean and he was not about to let her walk out of here with the twins. "Why don't I babysit tonight?" he offered.

Kelly scoffed, "What? You don't trust me with my own kids?"

David shook her head, "No, not really." he replied with brutal honesty.

"... _Fine._" Kelly said as she snatched the bag of pie Nat had left down on the counter. "Thanks Nat." she replied before storming out of the Pit, not even saying goodbye to Mollie and Tommy.

"Everything ok?" Nat asked cautiously.

Dylan sighed, "I don't know Nat." he said as he looked down at the twins who were simply staring back up at him with their bright blue innocent eyes. How could they go from two devoted parents who loved them with every fibre of their being to this?

* * *

David ended up keeping the twins for the next two nights while Kelly was away with Colin. He didn't mind. He'd rather they were safe with him than with their drug infused mother. David hated that Kelly was becoming everything she hated about Jackie. When he told Donna that he had the twins, she finally started to come to terms with the fact that Kelly needed help.

After picking up the twins from David, Donna arrived home to find Kelly in her room packing some clothes into a bag.

"You're here." Donna said, surprised.

"Yeah... I'm here." Kelly said with a little laugh, not seeing how this was a weird thing for her to actually be home.

"Are you going somewhere?" Donna asked.

"Just packing some more clothes to take to Colin's, I've run out." Kelly replied.

"Oh... I just thought you'd maybe want to stay tonight and put the twins to bed." Donna suggested. Every night they were asking after her and she was nowhere to be found.

"I thought they were with David?" Kelly asked.

"No, I just picked them up." Donna informed her, almost in disbelief that she had no idea where her children were. "Kelly- what is going on? You don't know where your kids are, you're not here to look after them. This isn't you!"

Kelly sighed, "I'm fine Donna. Everything is great in my life. I'm getting better grades than I have ever gotten, I'm in shape, I'm in love!"

_Love?_ Donna would hardly call what Kelly and Colin had _love_. Donna glared deeply, "You forgot about the two little blue eyed babies across the hall."

Kelly froze for a second before nodding her head, "Yeah, of course, Mollie and Tommy are a part of that too."

Donna could see the look of regret over Kelly's face that she didn't mention them. It was almost confirmation for Kelly that she was still there. That the drugs hadn't completely taken over her personality.

"I'm surprised you even remember their names." Claire said as she appeared at the door with her arms crossed.

Kelly scoffed, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I guess everything does look hunky dory if you look past the fact that you're addicted to a lethal narcotic." Claire challenged.

"You have _no_ idea what you're talking about."

"Oh I know _exactly_ what I'm taking about. You're being a neglectful parent for something that makes you forget about your pain for an hour and then leaves you feeling worse than before!" Claire shouted.

Kelly shook her head, "I don't have to listen to this. I'm getting the twins and I'm going."

"Oh you are _not_ taking Mollie and Tommy to Colin's drug den." Claire said firmly.

Kelly laughed, "Like it is any of your business where I take my kids Claire."

"I'm with Claire, you're not taking them anywhere." Donna said firmly.

"What are you going to do to stop me?" Kelly challenged.

_"I will call Dylan and get him to take them to Europe."_

Kelly's face fell a thousand miles. She hadn't let herself think about Dylan over the past few weeks—the drugs made sure that was possible. Now, Donna mentioning him was like a punch in the gut.

"_Dylan_? Dylan_ left_ them Donna. He left _me_." She said forcefully.

"He left all of us Kelly." Donna replied.

"That's different. He wasn't the most important person in your world." Kelly said as her eyes filled with tears. "Even if I couldn't say that out loud... it was _true_. My best friend left me and I did a really good job of pushing him away and he has _always_ done an excellent job of pushing the people he loves away too."

Donna finally began to realise that Dylan leaving had more of an impact of Kelly's drug habit than originally thought. Her dad was what pushed her over the edge, but Dylan was the one her heart truly grieved for. She didn't know how to deal with not having him in her life, so she tried to numb the pain instead.

"He didn't want to damage his children so he left and last time I checked, he also had a bit of an alcohol and drug problem. What makes you think he could look after them now?" Kelly asked.

"Dylan is sober Kelly, he got the help he needed and he would never drag his kids into any of this. He would do anything for them Kelly. Including taking them in when you are clearly in no fit state to do so." Donna replied confidently. She wasn't going to back down on this.

Kelly stared at them for a brief moment, the anger evident as it was spread over her face. She didn't want to admit it, but maybe they were right. Maybe Mollie and Tommy were better off without her.

"Fine. Give them to Dylan. _See if I care_." Kelly said, though Claire and Donna could see that she didn't mean it in the slightest. They could see the confliction over her face. They could see how lost she was, but until she decided to help herself, they had to help her twins.

* * *

It took less than a week for Kelly to come around. Brandon had found her in tears in her car after a dangerous run in with a drug dealer. She had finally seen the light and she knew she needed to break out of this dark path she was going on. She knew if Dylan could see her right now, he would be so _sad_. He wouldn't want this for her, he would _fight_ for her.

"Where are my babies?" Kelly asked as Brandon tried to calm her down. They were the only thing on her mind right now. Holding them and making things right was all she could think of. "I need to see my babies."

"Kelly-"

"Take me to them Brandon!"

"Kelly they're gone." Brandon shouted over the top of her as her head shot round.

"What? _Gone?_ What do you mean _gone?"_

"Dylan has them Kelly. He took them away with him." Brandon said with a gulp. Dylan had put all his fears and anxieties aside and stepped up when Brandon explained what has happened. In his mind, it was the only thing to do. No matter how much of a 'curse' he felt he might have been, he was beginning to wonder whether Beverly Hills was a bigger one. He knew he had to get the twins out of there.

Kelly felt her heart split in two. "What have I _done_?" she questioned quietly as Brandon rested his arm around her shoulder, trying to be of whatever comfort he could.

* * *

After Kelly had calmed down, she realised she needed a plan. She needed a plan to get her life back on track so she could get her babies back. She, along with the help of her friends, determined that until she was completely clean, she shouldn't bargain with Dylan about bringing them back to Beverly Hills. She needed to focus on herself before she could be a mother to them. So she broke up with Colin and she checked into a rehab facility.

It wasn't until 3 weeks later that Kelly finally felt ready to call Dylan. When she did, he told her he was in Hawaii with Iris and Erica and that she should come down there to bring the twins home. He never expected this to be a long-term solution and he figured that was why Kelly was calling.

Kelly was nervous to see Dylan again. His absence had really damaged her and she didn't want to be sent spiralling again after she saw him. But she was also thrilled to be able to talk to him again, to see how he was doing, to see if he'd managed to get himself together.

She hesitantly knocked on the door of Iris' house and waited. When the door swung open, she was delighted to see him standing there looking tanned and healthy and just like she'd remembered him.

"Hi Kel" he said in his always soothing voice.

"Hi" she replied as she couldn't help but smile at him, before they engulfed each other in a hug.

* * *

Kelly walked around Iris' living room and took everything in. For someone who was always travelling, Kelly was surprised that Iris had set up such a nice base here. There were photographs everywhere and the twins' toys were scattered all over the floor. It seemed like the perfect little home.

"So... where are the twins?" Kelly asked as Dylan stood in the door frame, just watching her as she took in her surroundings. He was also watching her to see how much she'd changed over the past few months. To see how much the drugs had taken hold of her. She looked better than he had expected, but she did look exceptionally tired, and Dylan knew all too well how that felt.

"My mom and Erica took them to the beach" Dylan replied. It was their favourite place to be. From a young age they were fascinated by sand and they just loved the ocean.

Kelly smiled gently, "Babies have always amazed me. Their innocence is so captivating... I wish I saw everything with such purity." She wished she could view something as simple as the beach with as much excitement as they did. She wondered if her life would be easier that way.

"Life isn't pure, they're just too young to know it... but I hope they hold on to that innocence for as long as possible." Dylan said, giving her a bit of a reality check.

"Yeah... I haven't exactly made that easy for them." Kelly said quietly.

"Neither have I Kel." Dylan replied, not wanting Kelly to feel like she was alone in this.

"So, what have you been up to?" Kelly asked, wanting to keep the conversation light and avoid talking about her little drug problem.

Dylan shook his head, "I don't think you're here to talk about me."

"No, I want to know what you've been doing" she said sincerely. She really did want to know what he'd been up to.

Dylan shrugged, "Nothing too exciting. Trying to find things that thrill me wherever I go in the hopes of feeling something... in the hopes of feeling _anything_." he replied.

"How's that going for you?"

"Funnily enough, nothing seems to satisfy me." he said truthfully as Kelly nodded. She understood that feeling very well.

"When was the last time you felt satisfied?"

"Antonia... _you._"

Kelly nodded her head. That was a can of worms she didn't want to open right now. "I'm sure you'll find that feeling again. Are you seeing anybody now?" she asked, only partially regretting her question. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear about Dylan's latest conquests.

Dylan stood up straight and walked towards her, "We don't have to talk about this. In fact, I'm not sure that I want to."

Kelly smirked, "I'm guessing that means yes, you are... you can talk to me Dylan, we're friends—right?"

"Kel, we'll never be just friends and you know it."

Kelly nodded, "Maybe... but that shouldn't change the fact that we've always been honest with each other."

"True..." he said before debating whether he should still tell her. "Yeah. I am seeing someone." he replied as Kelly nodded her head, trying not to look disappointed. It wasn't like she expected anything from him, but it was still weird to hear. "It's ok."

Kelly quirked an eyebrow, "Just ok? I'm surprised you would settle for just ok."

Dylan shrugged, "Maybe I'm biding my time."

"Till what?"

"Till great is ready to have me."

* * *

After another half hour of general chit chat, Dylan felt like Kelly was relaxed enough for him to ask her the dreaded question. He felt like there was no way to sugar coat this, so he decided to just go for it as they sat beside each other on the couch.

"So... cocaine." he said as Kelly looked to her hands.

"We don't have to do this-"

"You worried I'm going to give you a lecture?"

"More _annoyed_ than worried..." she responded as she finally looked at him.

Dylan nodded his head, "Yeah, I definitely do _not_ have a leg to stand on in that department... but I do know what it's like to go through it, so maybe I could help you."

There was no maybe about it. Kelly knew that Dylan could _definitely_ help her. But it was still a hard thing for her to admit. She did manage to pluck up the courage, however. If she couldn't tell Dylan, who could she tell?

"For the first time in my life I completely lost control. I don't know what happened Dylan. I was sad and I was confused and I thought it would help... but I should have known better."

"Yeah, drugs tend to cause more problems than they fix."

"I definitely caused a bucket load of problems. The main one being losing my kids."

Dylan shook his head, "you haven't lost them Kel."

"They didn't have parents for over a month Dylan. Donna and Claire have been looking after them but they're not theirs to look after. They're _ours._"

Dylan nodded and looked at his hands. He hadn't exactly been a model parent since their arrival. He'd only stepped up recently when Kelly couldn't. "I know... neither of us have been model parents over the past two years."

"We need a solution."

"Kelly... I can't go back to Beverly Hills." Dylan said quietly. It was just too hard right now. He knew that he would go down the dark path Kelly just came out of.

"I'm not asking you to. But I am asking you to recommit to being the best parent that you can be _with_ me."

"You know... I call them every night." Dylan said as Kelly frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Every night, I call either Donna or Claire and they put the phone beside Mollie and Tommy and I talk to them."

Kelly's face softened, "you do?" she thought all they were getting were his letters, but apparently not.

"I may not have been around for the past few months, but I want them to know my voice. Because one day I will have got my shit together and I will be there for everything. For every smile, every tear, every laugh, every moment. Because that's what they deserve."

Kelly rested her hand on top of Dylan's and squeezed it. She knew how difficult it was for him to go, but she also knew that it was something he had to do.

"You're here now. You stepped up when they needed you. Dylan, I know you left them with me, trusting that I would look after them-" Kelly began, wanting to apologise for letting them down.

"Kelly I am in no position to judge. _Believe me_. What matters is that we're going to get it right from now on." He said confidently. "Here" he said as he sat up and reached over to the coffee table for a pen and a piece of paper and began writing. "We here by promise to always listen when they call our names, to always hold them when they reach for us, to always cheer them forward, to always have their backs and to always be by their side so they are never alone."

Kelly smiled, "The Pact 2.0"

Dylan signed the sheet and handed the pen to Kelly and she signed it too.

"The writing's on the wall now" Dylan said as Kelly let out a little laugh. It seemed appropriate that they should make another pact for their babies. The first one served them well, so they were hopeful for this one too.

The front door opened and Erica walked in with the twins in tow. Kelly immediately stood and watched them as they ran into the house giggling, their feet covered in sand. Mollie's blonde curls were bouncing all around her and Tommy's fair hair had started to go blonder in the sun. To Kelly, they seemed so much more grown up. They were almost two after all, but the past few months had been a blur to her. She was so ashamed that she'd missed it all.

The twins didn't even notice their parents sitting on the sofa when they ran into the room and straight over to their toy box. Dylan half expected them to come back and be ready for a nap, but they appeared to have more energy than ever.

"Kelly, hi" Erica greeted happily as she walked over to Kelly and hugged her.

"Hi Erica" Kelly greeted. At the sound of Kelly's voice, Mollie and Tommy's heads shot up as they finally noticed their parents in the room. "Hi twinnies!" Kelly said excitedly as she walked over to them and bent down, allowing them to run into her arms happily. She was glad she hadn't been forgotten in their time apart. Kelly hugged them tightly and smoothered them with kisses, "Hawaii really suits you two, look at your smiles!" she said with a little laugh.

"Well we saw some dolphins today, didn't we twinnies?" Erica said as they nodded their heads excitedly. "Iris just went to pick something up for dinner, she should be back soon. I'll leave you guys to it" she said before disappearing into the back of the house.

Kelly finally let the twins go, but Tommy clung to her side while Mollie made a dash for Dylan, who swiftly lifted her up.

"I am certainly going to miss hanging out with you two on the beach everyday" he said as he looked at Mollie and wiped away the sand that covered her cheeks.

"Where are you going next?" Kelly asked as she stood up and lifted Tommy with her.

Dylan shrugged, "I don't know yet... back to Europe, maybe Italy."

"Sounds nice" Kelly said politely. Kelly watched as Dylan made faces at Mollie, causing her to irrupt into fits of giggles. Tommy was even smiling widely at the actions of his dad and sister. They were just so happy with Dylan. In that moment, she knew she couldn't take them away from him. "Dylan... I want you to keep them." Kelly said as Dylan stopped making faces and looked at Kelly.

"What?"

"I know I told you I came here to take them back but—I don't think it's right." she told him honestly.

Dylan frowned, "Didn't we just recommit to being good parents? And now you're just abandoning them again?" he asked, not understanding what Kelly was trying to say.

"I'm not abandoning them Dylan, I want to be their mother, I _am_ their mother, I just—I'm not better." she said as she shook her head and fought her tears. "I have a lot that I need to straighten out and like you said, they deserve to have _good_ parents... right now, the only stable thing they have in their lives is_ you_. They're so happy with you and I want them to be happy. Don't you want them?"

Dylan sighed, "Of course I want them Kelly, but you shouldn't have to lose them in the process." He couldn't quite believe that Kelly thought he was the better option for them right now. They were really happy right now, but Dylan's life wasn't in Hawaii. It was largely in London with a little bit of travelling here and there. Then again, maybe he needed this to keep him grounded. Maybe he needed this to stop him from seeking too much of a thrill that could only end in disaster.

"Then it's a temporary measure. Just until I get my head straight." she determined. _"Take them"_ she encouraged.

Dylan stepped forward and rested his free hand on the side of Kelly's neck before their closed their eyes and rested their foreheads against each other's. They had really missed each other's touch. They had missed the intimacy and security they felt with each other.

"I promise to be the best dad I can be." Dylan whispered. The time he'd spent with them over the past few weeks made him realise that maybe he wasn't the reason things blew up in his life. He realised that maybe his children were his saving grace.

Kelly smiled, "I already know you are."

"And we will come back to you" he said with a gulp. The thought of being in Beverley Hills right now was not appealing to Dylan. The place felt cursed to him, but he knew in his heart that it was home and he wouldn't be gone forever.

Kelly opened her eyes and moved back so she could look at him, "We?"

_"We."_


	38. Don't Worry About it Kel

_This is j__ust a short little chapter rounding up the season 6 content. These are definitely the most dramatic and intense chapters in the story, so you can breathe now!! __I've something with a little bit of humour for the next chapter, I think some respite is needed!_

_Enjoy_

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Eight- Don't Worry About it Kel

3 MONTHS LATER

Over the past three months, Kelly had been doing well. She threw herself into her college work and came out with exceptional grades, she spent time with her friends and she got herself to a really good place. She was finally starting to feel like herself again, despite the absence of three incredibly important people in her life.

As the summer holidays began, Kelly had made plans to go out to Europe to see Dylan. He was apparently in London right now and Kelly was excited. She was excited to get her babies home to LA after all this time—granted that she and Dylan agreed she was in a good enough place to do so.

Before she could sort the trip, however, she was met with an unexpected surprise on the eve of Steve's birthday. David had asked all of Steve's nearest and dearest to record birthday messages for him to play at his party. While they couldn't get a hold of Dylan, they sent a message to Brenda. When they got her return, they were surprised to see that it was Dylan who'd sent it. The only natural conclusion they'd reached was that Dylan had been living with Brenda.

David wasn't quite sure how to tell Kelly this information. She was bound to find out eventually, but he knew she would be mad if she knew _he_ knew and didn't tell her. So, like ripping off a band aid, he just told her.

_"Oh"_

Was all she replied. She didn't have the opportunity to say more anyway because she had to go to class. The time between class and the party allowed her to think about this news. Dylan, Mollie and Tommy were living with Brenda. It seemed like some sort of cruel twist of fate. Kelly swiped Dylan from her and now _she_ was the one looking after _her_ family.

That night at the party, David thought he should address the issue, just to make sure that Kelly wasn't living in her head and that it hadn't knocked her back a few steps.

"We sent an email to Brenda asking her to do the video message for Steve and we got a reply from Dylan. I have no idea what's going on, but I still thought you should know." David explained, wanting her to see that he didn't tell her to upset her, but to be completely transparent and a good brother. "I didn't mean to upset you-"

"I'm not upset" Kelly made clear. "I mean—I haven't seen my twins in three months and to find out that they've been living with a replacement mom is a little bit of a punch in the gut. Dylan told me he was seeing someone, he just didn't tell me it was Brenda." Kelly explained honestly. She wasn't surprised Dylan didn't tell her it was Brenda. That was a difficult piece of information to impart, especially when Kelly was pretty fragile.

"You don't know the whole story Kel, it could be nothing, he could have just been passing through and needed a place to stay."

"Yeah, maybe..." Kelly mumbled. "I think I'll call him later."

"Are you sure this is just about the twins?" David asked. She was playing it off like this wasn't about her feelings at all, but David knew better. There's no way this wouldn't bother Kelly.

Kelly scoffed, "If I said yes would you believe me?"

"No... probably not." He replied truthfully.

"I know this sounds nuts and entirely unfair but... I always thought we'd find our way back to each other, you know? We'd date other people, maybe even fall in love with them... but it would always be there. Me and him." Kelly confessed.

"Those letters he sends you would suggest he feels the same." David said as Kelly's eyes narrowed.

"You know about those?" Kelly asked. She thought she'd managed to keep them well under wraps. Dylan's letter writing hadn't stopped with their breakup almost two years ago. He wrote to her all the time while he was still here and he constantly wrote to her while he was away. Kelly didn't say anything because those letters had become something so personal to her. It didn't feel right to share even their existence with anyone else.

"_Donna_ knows about those..." David made clear.

Kelly smirked, "Loose lips sink ships"

David chuckled, "It slipped out one day..." he said, trying to down play Donna's secret divulging.

Kelly shrugged, "It's ok, they're just letters." she lied.

"Something tells me they're a little bit more than that..." Considering Donna had seen one that was addressed to my soulmate, David knew they must have been very important and special.

"Whatever Dylan and I have, we don't have it right now. All I know is this life and this moment and in this moment we're not supposed to be together and that is ok." Kelly said calmly and rationally. She had made her peace with that and while it had taken her a while, she did get there.

"That's pretty mature." David applauded.

"You think?" Kelly asked. "I'll give Dylan a call later, see what's going on." she said, not waiting to hear his response.

"Kelly, don't lose your head." David advised cautiously.

"I won't, I promise."

* * *

That night, Kelly arrived back to her house and picked up her phone for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

_"Dylan"_ she said down the line when the voicemail message beeped. "I have been trying to call you all day, would you _please_ ring me back? Bye." she said before handing up the phone with a sigh. She had been trying to contact Dylan all day and she was beginning to feel like he was avoiding her. She was jumping to the conclusion that Dylan was afraid to talk to her now that she knew the truth about him and Brenda.

Kelly threw her bag and jacket down on the chair and began to walk towards her room. Before she could get very far, there was a light knock on the door. She walked back towards it and her face fell a thousand miles when she saw Dylan and the twins standing on the other side.

"Oh my gosh, hi babies!" she said happily as she took Mollie from Dylan and hugged her closely. "Hi momma" Mollie said as Kelly breathed in her daughter's sweet scent before looking back up at Dylan who was smiling softly at her. "You're here."

"Yeah."

"I've been trying to call you all day." she told him.

"Well we were on a plane all day. Remind me to never take two babies on a 12-hour flight all on my own ever again..." Dylan said, clearly traumatised by the experience.

Kelly chuckled, "I am very sorry you had to deal with that. Come in" she said as they walked into the house.

"Where is everybody?" Dylan asked as he set Mollie and Tommy's bag down in the living room.

"I don't know actually, probably still at the party, I just got in. Good timing it seems." she said as she turned her attention back to the twins. After kissing them multiple times, they wiggled out of their parents' arms and straight over to their toy box. It was like they had never left.

"God, how could they have gotten so big in three months?"

"It's all the sweets I've been feeding them." Dylan joked.

_"Dylan_..." Kelly scolded as she lightly slapped his arm.

"They had perfectly healthy diets Kel, I promise." he said as he held his hands up.

"Good... what are you doing here anyway?" she asked. They had been talking only last week about her coming over to London.

"Well, I was talking to Brandon a few days ago... he said you're doing really good." Dylan told her.

"_Really_ good is probably an exaggeration. I'm still feeling a little bit lost." Kelly confessed.

"I think we all are." Dylan replied. Ever since he'd found out about Kelly's troubles, all he wanted to do was make sure she realised she wasn't alone. He always wanted her to see that because that is always what _she_ made clear to _him_. "But I don't think you're going to find yourself without these two around." he said as they looked at Mollie and Tommy while they played on the floor.

Kelly's face lit up, "Really?"

"They complete your life Kel. They're probably why you feel so lost. So I think it's time they came home... and just in time for their 2nd birthday." he said as he pointed to the clock and saw that it had just passed midnight. Kelly hated that she would be missing this day, but Dylan clearly didn't want to let that happen.

"Do you really think I can do this?" Kelly asked quietly. Her confidence had really taken a knock and she knew she only had herself to blame, but that didn't make it any less difficult.

"If I can do it, then you most certainly can do it." Dylan said, having enough confidence for the both of them.

Kelly gulped and looked glum when the realisation hit her that the twins may be back in Beverly Hills, but Dylan probably wasn't staying.

"I suppose this is the part where you take off?" she asked quietly.

Dylan sighed. He had considered staying, but he just couldn't. Not yet anyway. He wasn't ready to face the demons that he'd left behind. "I'm afraid so... my memories of here are still a little too raw. But I won't be gone forever."

Kelly nodded, "I know. Doesn't make it any easier."

Dylan nodded his head before he walked over the twins as the played. He bent down and kissed their heads and smiled, "Happy birthday twinnies... I love you very much." He was so sad to leave them, but he knew he would be seeing them again very soon.

He stood up and turned to Kelly, "Walk me to the door Taylor" he said with a smile as Kelly obliged. He held out his hand for her and she gladly took it.

"Dylan, I have to ask... are you and Brenda together?" she asked softly.

Dylan gave her a lopsided smile, "Don't worry about it Kel."

Kelly quirked any eyebrow, "That's not an answer."

"It's the answer you're getting. _Don't worry about it._" he repeated. Dylan moved Kelly's hair out of her face before bending down and delicately kissing her. He held her cheeks as he moved his head back and spoke to her softly. "We've got to live the lives we're living for now... but I'll see you real soon Kel." he told her confidently.

Kelly nodded her head and leaned up and kissed him one last time, with a little more passion and desire than before.

"Bye McKay" she said in a whisper as she felt him slip away from her once more—but not before he left a letter in her hand.


	39. Christmas Surprises

_So this story has just been drama, drama, drama for a while, so I wanted to do something a little more fun with this chapter. So here's a season 7 Taylor-McKay Christmas! It's the only season 7 content I'm going to do, and I'm also only going to do one chapter on season 8. I considered doing the Kelly's amnesia story but I'm just not a fan of it, i think it's a bit silly. Hopefully that's cool with you guys! Season 9 is where the fun begins anyway... but if you really want to see it however, i don't mind putting in a chapter about it. __So just let me know! _

_For now-- Enjoy!_

_Based on 7x13_

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Nine- Christmas Surprises

6 MONTHS LATER

Before everyone knew it, Christmas had rolled round and everyone was trying to get into the spirit of it. The gang had all decided that any drama in their life was to be pushed aside for the sake of the holidays and also for Mollie and Tommy's sake. At 2 and half years old, they were becoming much more aware and in tune with the feelings and attitudes of those around them. It often transpired that if Kelly was in a bad mood, so were they. They were incredibly intuitive and bright for their age which made all the adults in their lives exceptionally proud of them. They were already talking in full sentences much to everyone's amazement and were constantly making everyone laugh and smile with their shenanigans. They were little rascals and always up to something but they brought so much joy to their parents and all their many aunts and uncles.

Since Dylan had left, they'd spent a number of weeks with him in Hawaii and on certain holidays, and they received a bedtime phone call that they always eagerly anticipated. Like Kelly, they found Dylan's voice so soothing. It was just their dad's voice and they associated it with someone who loved them so dearly. The twins were extra excited, however, that is was Christmas, because that meant Dylan was coming in to town. After they were born, Dylan and Kelly promised that no matter where they were or what they were doing, they would always stop and spend Christmas together and despite missing last year, Dylan was determined to hold up to his end of the deal.

Although he was nervous about returning to Beverly Hills, even if it was for just a short time, he was incredibly excited to see Mollie and Tommy. He was determined to make it a fun Christmas not just for them but for Kelly too. There was to be no drama, no frustrations, just sweet and happy family time.

_"Daddy!_" the twins shouted a week before Christmas as Dylan walked through the door of the Peach Pit.

"Ah, there are my little elves!" he said as he bent down and picked them up, hugging them tightly. They really did give the best little hugs in the world. "Que pasa?" he asked. Dylan had been planning on taking the twins to Baja over spring break, so he was trying to teach them a little bit of Spanish before they went and to his surprise, they picked it up really quickly. Dylan was convinced they were child prodigies and he and Kelly should already start planning for having 15-year olds with college degrees.

"Es navidad papa!" Tommy said excitedly.

"Si es amigo!" Dylan said happily as he set them back on the ground just as Kelly walked over. "Your Spanish is coming on well."

"They're obsessed with those Spanish cartoons you bought them." Kelly said as Dylan looked up at her and smiled. Boy had he missed her over the past 6 months. No matter where he was, or who he was with, or what he was doing—he always wished she was right there with him.

"Hi Kel" he greeted as Kelly smiled widely back at him.

"Hi" she replied before hugging him tightly. "We just had some pancakes and were going to head to the mall to see Santa so you are just in time." she told him.

"Great, you guys can tell Santa what you want..." Dylan said as he discreetly looked at Kelly. She had been desperately trying to find out what they wanted for Christmas, but they refused to tell anybody other than Santa for fear that it might not happen, so Dylan and Kelly had bought them virtually nothing and they only had a week left to get everything.

"Yes and momma can also get her secret Santa gift. Somehow, Valerie and I managed to pick each other..." Kelly said with an eyeroll. After all this time the pair still couldn't see eye to eye. Valerie even said she was going to get Kelly a new personality for Christmas.

Dylan let out a little laugh, he knew this could only end badly. "We better get going then"

* * *

A short while later, Kelly and Dylan stood at the side while Mollie and Tommy spoke to the shopping mall Santa. They were desperately trying to eavesdrop into their conversation, but they were having zero luck. The twins had mastered the art of whispering, which was ironic considering how much noise they tended to make at all other hours of the day.

"God knows what they're telling him they want for Christmas..." Kelly said, nervous that it would be something extravagant and completely unobtainable.

"Ah, anything's possible." Dylan said positively.

"Anything's possible with their daddy's bank account in the mix" Kelly teased.

"Hey..." Dylan said as he lightly nudged her. "You know I'm surprised you haven't bought anything, you're normally really on the ball with Christmas."

"I can't see anything that I like for anybody, it's a _nightmare_." Kelly complained. Normally, she would have had the majority of her Christmas shopping done by October, but she hadn't been so lucky this year.

"Nothing for Valerie then?"

"Nothing that isn't _toxic_..." she grumbled. "So, my dad called this morning" Kelly revealed as Dylan raised his eyebrows.

"Bill Taylor actually called his daughter? _Damn_." he said. He hoped that it was an apology phone call for what he did to her at the start of the year, but he highly doubted it. At the same time, he also hoped that he wouldn't bother calling at all. Not if he was just going to disappoint her again.

"I know..."

"What did he want?"

"He's coming to LA for Christmas." Kelly said. She couldn't sound any less enthusiastic about the idea.

"Oh... how do you feel about that?"

"Good." she surprisingly said. "I think it's about damn time I gave him a piece of my mind." she said with a smirk that Dylan returned. He was proud to hear that she wasn't just going to let the man walk all over her.

Mollie and Tommy soon came rushing over to them with big smiles on their faces.

"Momma, daddy, did you see us with Santa?!" Mollie asked excitedly.

"Oh we sure did sweetie, we'll have to go pick up your photo" Kelly said as they took the twins' hands and walked over to the kiosk.

"So, what did you ask for?" Dylan asked, hoping to finally get some answers.

"That is between us and Santa." Tommy said firmly.

"... _great._" Dylan mumbled.

Kelly looked up at Dylan, "Well, I guess we better wish Santa good luck!" she teased with a smirk. Dylan didn't know what she was smirking at, she was in on this mess too.

"Mrs. Claus too..." he instantly replied as Kelly playfully glared at him.

"Santa doesn't need luck, he as magic and elves." Mollie informed them.

"Very true Mols" Dylan agreed.

"Oh this is going to be fun..." Kelly said as they picked up their photo before heading around a few of the shops.

* * *

The following morning, Dylan was sitting on the sofa with the twins eating some cereal. Kelly had been out the previous night with her father so Dylan took the bed time and morning routine off her hands before crashing on the sofa. He didn't even hear her come in last night, so it must have been a success. As they watched their cartoons, Kelly came into the living room with a scowl on her face that Dylan instantly noticed.

"... good morning sunshine." he teased through a mouth full of cereal.

"What happened to no cartoons on a weekday?" Kelly asked. The twins weren't listening, however, they were too engrossed in the TV.

"Maybe grumpy would have been a better adjective..." he said as she rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen with Dylan rushing in behind her. "It's Christmas, I think the rules can be bent a little..." he justified, but Kelly didn't bother replying, she just started making some coffee. "Was dinner with your dad really that bad?" He asked.

"He didn't show." Kelly said as she slammed the pot down. "I spent the night trying to cool off, but the surprise was—my _sister_ did show and I'm not talking about Erin."

"... What?" her sister? Kelly had another sister?

"He has a whole other family that I knew nothing about. Can you believe that?"

"Damn... this is all ringing a very familiar bell." he said, all of a sudden feeling a little hot under the collar. This certainly was hitting a little too close to home.

Kelly had completely forgotten about the fact that Dylan had his own secret family show up on his doorstep that didn't even so well for him. He did get Erica out of it, but he lost a hell of a lot in the process.

"What was she like?" Dylan asked.

"I don't know I didn't stay. I sat down, said pleased to meet you and then I left, it was just—it was too _weird_." Kelly confessed.

"Aren't you curious about her?"

Kelly sighed, "Right now, I'm too upset."

"It's not her fault that she exists. I don't know Kel, I don't know her but I know Erica was one of the best things to ever happen to me. Maybe she could be good for you too."

"Dylan, you may have gained a sister, but said sister's mother and step father stole all your money. What if I'm being conned too?" Kelly questioned.

"Well then the joke's on her because you don't have any money for her to steal." he pointed out as Kelly rolled her eyes over how flippantly he was treating this situation. "At the very least she could shed some light on why your dad is such a jerk. You might even, dare I say it—_like_ her." He teased.

"Maybe I would have also liked my father if he's stuck around long enough for me to find out." Kelly challenged.

"What does Jackie think about all of this?" Dylan asked. Does Jackie even know?

"I don't know, looks like I'm going to have to be the one to tell her." Kelly said with a sigh. She looked through the hatch of the kitchen and saw that the twins had abandoned their cereal and cartoons and were now scribbling furiously on some paper. "What are you two drawing?" she asked as she and Dylan went back into the living room.

"Dad said we should draw for Santa so he doesn't forget what we asked for." Tommy told her.

Kelly quirked an eyebrow at Dylan's trick to get the list, "Oh, did he? That's a good idea dad."

"Actually, I told them to write to Santa but then I swiftly remembered that they can't actually spell, so..." Dylan said as he scratched the back of his neck. His plan had back fired a little and now he and Kelly were going to have to try and interpret some toddler drawings.

Kelly looked down at the drawings but Mollie immediately snatched them away.

"You can't see them!" she warned as Dylan and Kelly took a step back at her forcefulness, then rolled their eyes at themselves for being intimidated by a two-year-old. "They're going in an envelope and straight to Santa." she instructed. Mollie really could be very bossy when she wanted to be.

"Yes ma'am..." Dylan mocked as he and Dylan walked away from them.

"Dylan, you can't open their Santa letters." Kelly warned.

"Kel, they're never going to know! And if we don't do it, then they're not going to get what they want for Christmas and they'll become cynical like their old man. They're far too young to be cynical. It usually starts when you hit three." He joked.

Kelly scoffed and smirked, "Not if I can help it..."

* * *

Kelly took Dylan's words about her sister on board and decided that they at least owed each other one conversation. So, while she left Dylan to dissect Tommy and Mollie's Christmas drawings and then buy the stuff at the mall, she and Joy sat and had a coffee. Kelly was surprised by how well they actually got on. They both had Bill Taylor horror stories to tell and it was nice to be able to vent with someone who truly understood.

After a few hours together, Dylan stumbled over to them with a whole load of shopping bags.

"And there we have it. Two little kids with all their Christmas dreams come true" he said proudly as he set the bags at their feet.

"You got everything off their list?" Kelly asked, not quite believing he'd done it.

"Yeah, I just need to go back to one of the stores and pick up the bikes because I only have two hands and you two ladies seemed much keener on having a gossiping session than helping me..." he teased.

Kelly laughed, "Well you truly are a magical Santa." she said as she patronisingly tapped his nose. "Joy, this is Dylan, Mollie and Tommy's dad."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you" Joy said as they shook hands.

"You too, it's nice to see you two bonding over having a terrible dad in Bill Taylor." He joked.

Joy laughed, "Yeah, it's a riveting talking point."

"Dylan and I have known each other since we were 5 years old, so he knows all about my BIll Taylor woes..." Kelly informed her.

Joy nodded her head, "Yeah, I have a few people like that in my life too."

"Well, I still have to try and find Valerie a present..." Kelly said through her teeth.

Dylan placed a hand on Kelly's arm, "Try not to let it break you Kel." he said sarcastically.

"I'll do my best but no guarantees... thank you for picking up this stuff, you want to take it to the car for me?" she asked with a sweet smile and a flutter of her eyelashes as she held up her car keys.

"... sure" Dylan said as he held out his hand and Kelly dropped the keys into them.

"Thank you!" she said happily as Dylan lifted the bags.

"Anything for you dear." he mocked. "It was nice to meet you Joy."

"Yeah, you too."

As Dylan walked away, Joy turned back to Kelly and smiled, "He seems great. Super cute too" she said with a little laugh.

"Oh don't let him hear you say that, it will go straight to his head..."

"Are you two really just friends?" Joy asked. She had instantly picked up on the spark between them despite what Kelly had said.

Kelly nodded, "We're the best of friends... but I don't think we'll ever be just that." she replied honestly as Joy nodded, gathering that it was a complicated and difficult issue.

* * *

That evening, everyone had gathered in the After Dark for a family Christmas evening that was full of music, food and presents. Dylan and Kelly stood gleefully by the door watching as Mollie and Tommy danced around the room to the music without a care in the world.

"Our kids have got some _sick_ moves." Dylan said proudly.

"I know, they definitely didn't get them from you..." Kelly teased.

Dylan put a hand over his heart, "Ouch... maybe you and I should go out there and show them how it's done. Though it's not a one-time offer, it can wait."

Kelly smiled. It had been a while since she'd heard that line. "I'd rather wait" she said as Dylan nodded his head, letting her know that that was more than ok. "You know, you still haven't told me anything about what you've been doing in Europe."

Truth was, Dylan had deliberately avoided the topic. All he wanted to do while he was here was have a little bit of fun with his family and not get bogged down on how his life still had no direction despite all the searching he had done.

He shrugged, "Not much to tell."

"Oh I highly doubt that" she said as she turned to face him.

"I've been trying to figure out my life... probably more accurate to say that I've been _avoiding_ figuring out my life."

"How's that going for you?"

"Well, the avoiding part is going excellently..."

Kelly let out a little laugh and crossed her arms, "Unsurprising."

"I'm sure I'll get there eventually." he said, not entire sure whether that was actually true or now.

"Well, I think you're allowed to give yourself a little more time than just a year." Kelly encouraged. The death of his wife was not something that could be so easily dealt with. It would probably always be difficult.

"Yeah. Maybe... or maybe I should just stop delaying the inevitable." Dylan replied.

Kelly frowned, "What's the inevitable?"

Dylan could see that she already knew the answer. The answer was that he would come back to her, but she needed him to say it out loud. As much as he wanted to, he just knew now wasn't the time.

"So uh—where's this Mark guy?" he asked, completely changing the subject to Kelly's latest boyfriend.

"Not here" Kelly simply replied.

Dylan smirked, "That's good enough for me" he said as he playfully pulled at her dress as she smiled and swatted him away.

"Behave yourself McKay..." she warned.

"Oh I think that's impossible when I'm around you." he flirted as Kelly rolled her eyes at his antics. "I'm guessing he made himself scarce when he found out I was in town." he said as he jokingly puffed out his chest. "He just didn't want to see you with the love of your life."

Kelly glared at him, "The love of my life? You are so far up your own ass-"

"Hey." he said, stopping her rant as he took as step forward and smiled down at her in a way that made her weak at the knees. "Merry Christmas" he said quietly as he held up a letter.

Kelly quirked an eyebrow, "Is this what I think it is?"

Dylan shrugged, "Just some light bedtime reading"

Kelly took it from him and read the writing on the envelope, her heart softening instantly. "To my soul mate on our third family Christmas..."

"I know I missed last year but I think I was there in spirit" he added.

Kelly smiled at him, "You never give up do you?"

"Never." he confirmed as he bent down and lightly kissed her. "Merry Christmas Kel"

"Merry Christmas Dylan."


	40. Thoughts That Lie Too Deep For Tears

_Hi everyone! Thank you all for your reviews, I'm trying my best to make sure all that you want addressed is addressed in the coming chapters so just bear with me! This chapter addresses the BK wedding, but it is entirely from Kelly's point of view. I can assure you though that Dylan's point of view will be considered over the next few chapters and we'll find out a little more about what he was doing while he was away and how he dealt with all his problems and the news of Kelly's wedding. This may mean, however, that we may not get an update until Friday... just so I have time to edit things and make sure I'm getting all I want to across. I'd also love to revisit Dylan's thoughts on soulmates, so I'll do my best to fit that in too over the remaining chapters._

_Tish- Mark was a guy Kelly dated in season 7 as far as I'm aware... apologies if that's wrong! It's not all that important anyway, just a passing boy._

_Time for some more time jumping and a BK wedding... enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Forty- Thoughts That Lie Too Deep For Tears

A YEAR AND A HALF LATER

"Ok twinnies. What does love mean to you?" David asked as now four-year-olds Mollie and Tommy sat in front of his camera. After a lot of anguish and will they won't they moments, Kelly and Brandon found their way back to each other and decided to get married. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. It was a true expression of their commitment. Everyone was excited for the big day and despite a few obstacles over the past year to get here, Kelly and Brandon were looking forward to the day too. Things were coming together nicely, and David was preparing a video for the reception of Kelly and Brandon's friends and family talking about them and their love.

"It means giving hugs and kisses and keeping each other safe and making each other laugh." Mollie said with a little giggle.

"And to have someone to comfort you when you're sad." Tommy added.

"Oo! And it's also like _fireworks!_"

David chuckled, "Fireworks?"

"Yeah!" Mollie said as she nodded her head, "It's so bright and beautiful and full of energy."

"Like being hit by a lightening bolt when you're around them." Tommy said.

"It's just... _magnificent._" Mollie said in a whisper.

David was surprised by the profoundness of his niece and nephew. They were only 4 years old after all, but they had always been incredibly intelligent and intuitive. Yet, they had seen a lot of love change and disappear around them. They had never seen their parents together considering they were in the NICU when Kelly and Dylan broke up, Kelly and Brandon had broken up twice, Donna, Steve and David had a few partners come and go—it amazed David that they weren't cynical about love even at four. He figured that it was because while love had disappeared around them, the love that their parents and their aunts and uncles had for them had never changed. It was constant.

"That's quite an exciting view on love." David told them as they smiled.

"Dad always talks about how it should feel like swinging from chandeliers." Tommy told him.

"Do you think mom and Brandon swing from chandeliers?" David asked.

Mollie and Tommy looked at each other for a moment and then chose to remain silent. David was surprised again. The twins loved Brandon, but they certainly didn't sound too fused about him marrying their mother. Donna had told him that they were excited to go to a party when they were told about the wedding, but he guessed the wedding part was only hitting them now. He could only assume that it had everything to do with the fact that Kelly wasn't marrying Dylan. A lot of kids in their class had parents who were together and married, but Tommy and Mollie were in a pretty unique situation. They lived with their mother and saw their father every holiday when he took them to either Baja or Hawaii and the only time they ever saw their parents together was Christmas day. They would have loved more than anything to have their parents together, but they had also learned to accept their reality.

"I'll uh—I'll maybe cut that bit out..." David said he stopped recording.

"Too late..." he heard behind him as he turned around and saw Kelly standing in the door frame. She gave him a tight-lipped smile before turning around and walking away. What they said shouldn't bother her... right?

* * *

Kelly had felt off since she heard what the twins said about swinging from chandeliers. She loved that that was how Dylan had described love. Hard as nails, commitment-phobe Dylan McKay had a hugely romantic view on love. She scoffed internally at the irony. While he had been a bit of a romantic as a teenager, the years had hardened him. He lost Kelly, he lost Toni and he gave up on love—yet he still told his kids that they shouldn't settle for anything less than swinging from chandeliers.

Kelly was looking through the mail from the previous day, before she went to check on things at work. She paused sifting through the bills when she came across an envelope with Dylan's handwriting on the front of it. Her heart skipped a beat when she thought about what this could be. Even after they had broken up and he had left Beverly Hills, Dylan had never failed to send her letters. He brought her one every time he visited, he sent her one every time he left and now—he was sending her one the day before her wedding? Part of her hated him for doing that, but a part of her was so glad that he did.

She quickly went into her room and sat on her bed and opened the letter, reading it carefully. It was a poem. A poem and nothing else.

_"And o, ye Fountains, Meadows, Hills and Groves,_

_Forbose not any severing of our loves!_

_Yet in my heart of hearts I feel your might;_

_I only have relinquished one delight_

_To live beneath your more habitual sway_

_Thanks to the human heart by which we live,_

_Thanks to its tenderness, its joys and fears,_

_To me the meanest flower that blows can give_

_Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears."_

A tear escaped Kelly's eye and fell onto the page. She quickly wiped her tear, not even noticing that her eyes were watering in the first place. What did this even _mean?_ Why was he sending her romantic poems with no explanation? Was he just trying to screw with her head? How was it that he managed to make her feel so conflicted when he wasn't even here? She felt like she was transported back to 3 years ago when Dylan offered her a ticket around the world. She thought that if it wasn't for Dylan's friendship with Brandon... she probably would have gone. What did that say about her impending marriage?

She walked around the rest of the day like a ghost. She barely paid any attention to the speeches at their rehearsal dinner.

_"Kelly, we have always loved you like a daughter. A kind and decent daughter that will give our son so much joy."_ Cindy had said.

_"And we are more than thrilled to welcome a new set of twins into our family, Mollie and Tommy. We know you already bring Brandon so much joy and we look forward to seeing more of that in the future."_ Jim added.

But Kelly couldn't take in what they had said. Not when she was feeling overwhelmed by doubt and guilt. How could she_ not_ want someone like Brandon Walsh? He was the perfect man. He was everything she thought she ever wanted. He made her good, yet she often felt overwhelmed by the need to be perfect for him. With Dylan, it was never like that. He often brought out the worst in her, yet he never expected her to be anything other than what she was. He loved her flaws as much as he loved her best qualities and there was something beautiful about that. With Brandon, she felt like she was cruising along, but with Dylan... _she felt like she was swinging from chandeliers._ Even when he wasn't there, he made her heart _soar._ But how could she love someone who wasn't here? How what that fair? They'd been apart for so long that it seemed like the most ridiculous thing in the world to have him invading her mind like this, but she couldn't control it.

* * *

The day before the wedding, Kelly sat in her living room with her mother. Jackie was so excited about the wedding. She was convinced Kelly had found her perfect man. Jackie had never been able to get over Dylan's let downs. She figured he was just like Kelly's father and she didn't hesitate to make her feelings known. Her once fondness for her daughter's former boyfriend had faded in an instant.

"Mom... can I be honest?" Kelly asked cautiously.

Jackie frowned, "Always."

"When Brandon and I were talking to the minister, he asked us about our moment."

"Your moment?" Jackie questioned, not understanding what she was talking about.

"Yeah, like the moment we knew that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives with each other and—we couldn't describe it." Kelly said with a gulp.

"Just because you couldn't put it into words doesn't mean you should doubt it." Jackie assured her. "Here, I wanted to give you something." she said as she handed her a box. "Your grandfather gave this to your grandmother on the day they got married. I figured it could be your something old."

Kelly carefully opened the box and found a beautiful silver locket.

"Wow... it's beautiful." Kelly said quietly as she ran her fingers over it. She turned the locket over and her breath caught in her throat when she saw what was engraved on the back.

_"Oh my god._" she mumbled.

"What is it?"

Kelly shook her head, "You're going to think I'm _nuts._"

"Try me." Jackie said as she folded her arms. This cryptic game Kelly appeared to be playing was starting to irritate her.

"A few days ago I was sorting through the mail and I had a letter from Dylan. He sent me this poem. Thanks to the human heard by which we live, Thanks to its tenderness, its joys, and fears, to me the meanest flower that blows can give, _Thoughts that lie too deep for tears._" Kelly recited as she turned the locket around and showed Jackie the engraving.

_Thoughts that lie too deep for tears._

Jackie was admittedly shocked at the coincidence, but she wasn't prepared to give this any fuel. "Kelly. You can't seriously be having hesitations because of Dylan? _He's not here."_

"I know that!" Kelly said, completely frustrated by the whole thing. "He's not even here and I _still_ can't get him out of my head! I tried to ignore it, I tried to forget it. Every time I look at Brandon, I feel so safe and secure and loved... but I also hear Dylan's name _screaming_ in my head and I can think of the _exact_ moment I fell in love with Dylan and I can think of the _exact_ moment I knew I wanted to be with him for the rest of my life but I _never_ had those moments with Brandon and then he sends me this poem and I don't know what it means... until now." Kelly rambled as Jackie stood there, completely taken a back.

"It's just a coincidence." Jackie insisted. "Dylan McKay never has been and never will be good enough for you. When are you going to learn?"

Kelly scoffed, "Yet he is the only person who has ever made me feel truly alive." she mumbled.

Jackie was at a loss for words. How was she supposed to reason with this? How was she supposed to tell her daughter to marry Brandon when she still wasn't over Dylan after all these years?

"You need to go home and you need to rest. Pre-wedding jitters, it's totally natural to look back on what could have been, but Kelly—_you can't love a ghost_. The Dylan you once loved is_ not_ the same man anymore. You know that. He can_ never l_ove you like Brandon can love you. You need to make your peace with that. Dylan is gone and he's not coming back."

Kelly didn't feel like arguing with Jackie about this. Yes, Dylan had changed, but so had she. They weren't teenagers anymore, they were supposed to change. If Dylan always loved her flaws then she always loved his—and she wasn't ashamed at that.

But her mother did have a point. Dylan wasn't here. How could she live her life loving someone that wasn't here and probably never would be? She deserved to be happy and she knew Brandon could do that for her. She knew he was good for her. But was it selfish to hold onto him like this?

* * *

Kelly spent so much time thinking about everything that she was somehow standing in the dressing room of the church in her wedding dress the day of the wedding, barely even registering she was here. Jackie could see the distant look in her face. It was normal to have nerves on your wedding day, but it shouldn't feel like this.

"Kelly, we can't ignore what you told me the other day." Jackie said quietly as Kelly looked at her reflection in the mirror.

Kelly shook her head, "You were right. Dylan isn't here. I can't live in what might have been, I can only live in the now and right now—I'm with Brandon."

"If you're going to marry someone, you need to be completely sure. This isn't something to be entered in to lightly." Jackie reminded her. She was living proof of that.

"Trust me, I know. He is such a great guy and I'm scared to lose him."

Jackie smiled sympathetically, "That is no reason to marry him."

Kelly turned around and looked at Jackie, "Will I regret not doing it?"

"Probably... but you have your whole life ahead of you to figure out what is right. It could be a case of the right person at the wrong time."

"... maybe."

Unbeknown to Kelly, Brandon was sitting in his dressing room, entirely conflicted too. The fact that he couldn't pin the moment he knew he wanted to marry Kelly had been playing on his mind too. Isn't that something he should be 100% sure of?

"You don't walk away from passion like that." Steve said as he paced in front of him. He was pretty consumed with his own romantic problems that he didn't even register Brandon's hesitation. "There isn't anything we couldn't do together. Walk through fire, swing from chandeliers-"

Brandon frowned, "Chandeliers?"

"Yeah, the twinnies said love should feel like swinging from chandeliers, I kind of liked it." Steve said with a shrug.

Brandon let out a little laugh, "That's pretty profound for a 4 year old."

"It's how Dylan described it to them."

Brandon frowned again as things all of a sudden started to become a little clearer. "It's how Dylan described his love... _for Kelly._"

Steve could see the disappointment in his friend's face. He wanted to tell him that that wasn't the case, but he couldn't lie about this. Not when everyone already knew the truth. "Well... what they had was pretty spectacular... but it is over now, it clearly wasn't meant to last." he quickly added.

"Or maybe I'm just a bump in the road of Dylan and Kelly's epic love story." he said bitterly.

"Brandon, no way, Kelly loves you."

Brandon sighed, "That chandelier stuff? Kelly and I _walk_ under chandeliers. We'd never think to swing from them."

Brandon stood up and walked out the door, knowing what he had to do. Before he could make it to the other side of the veranda, Kelly's door swung open and she appeared, a little stunned to see him.

One look into each other's eyes and they both knew what was about to happen. They didn't want to marry each other. Kelly felt relieved that it wasn't just her. Brandon spun some lie about it being the wrong time. He didn't want to make this about Dylan when it was about them. They didn't want to hold any ill feeling towards one another, and they didn't. There was still a heck of a lot of love there, it just wasn't the kind of love that made them want to be together forever. They still decided to have the party though. They didn't want all that food to go to waste. They used it as an opportunity to celebrate their friendships that had turned into family.

* * *

Kelly's first thought was when they decided not to get married was her kids. They loved Brandon and they'd already gone through Kelly breaking up with him. Technically they had gone through it twice, but they were too young to remember the first time. She wasn't sure how they were going to react this time around.

The day after the wedding, Brandon and Kelly sat them down to talk to them about it and make sure they knew what was going on.

"We need to talk to you two about something." Kelly said as the twins sat on the sofa and Brandon and Kelly sat opposite them on the coffee table.

"Is it about you two not getting married?" Tommy asked.

Brandon smiled softly, "Yeah, bud. We just wanted to make sure you understood what was going on."

"Just because Brandon and I are not getting married doesn't mean that we don't mean a lot to each other." Kelly made clear.

"And I will always be there for the both of you, no matter what." Brandon added. He couldn't imagine his life without Tommy and Mollie in it.

Mollie nodded her head, "we know." They weren't exactly sad that Kelly and Brandon weren't getting married, but they would certainly miss seeing him everyday.

"And at least we got a cool party out of it." Tommy said with a shrug as Brandon and Kelly held back their laughter. They may be emotionally intelligent for 4 years old, but at the end of the day, they were still just little kids who looked for the positives.

Tommy and Mollie soon jumped off the sofa and ran back into their room to continue whatever they were playing.

"Sometimes I wish I could be as cool about things as they are..." Brandon commented with a little laugh.

Kelly sighed, "They're 4 years old, they don't know any better." she said before standing up.

Brandon frowned, "isn't that the kind of reaction you were hoping from them?"

"I don't know what I was hoping for."

"How about that they wouldn't be upset?"

"Yeah I guess... it's still an adjustment though, I'm just worried that it's going to affect them without us even realising. Things aren't exactly peachy between us Brandon." Kelly reminded him. The last thing she wanted was for the twins to see the tension between the two of them.

"Well, we just have to fake it till we make it." Brandon suggested.

"Easier said than done... I think I'm going to send them to Hawaii for a few weeks." Kelly announced.

Brandon frowned, "Hawaii?"

"Yeah. Iris has been dying to see them and Dylan's due out there soon. I figure with everything so up in the air right now, they deserve a little peace from any chaos that might ensue." Kelly told him.

Brandon nodded, "and you're not going to go with them?"

"I never go with them when they're in Hawaii." Kelly reminded him. They visited Iris and Dylan there every holiday, but Kelly never went. The only times the twins saw their parents together was at Christmas.

"I just thought you might like to go and see Dylan." Brandon said cautiously.

Kelly remained silent. Of course she would like to see Dylan but it wasn't really on her radar right now. She would be lying if she said he had nothing to do with her stopping her wedding, but she also wasn't about to start chasing him. She needed to sort her head out and work out what she wanted and she didn't doubt for a second that Dylan was working on doing the same. Whatever he was looking for in Europe had probably yet to be found.

"I don't need to see Dylan." Kelly simply replied. Her choice of words didn't go unnoticed by Brandon. She didn't _need_ to see Dylan... but she sure as hell _wanted_ to. Throughout their whole relationship it had always come back to him.

When Dylan showed up on Kelly's doorstep following the dreams he had about her, Kelly didn't hesitate to sleep with him. Kelly told Brandon that choosing between two best friends wasn't a choice she could ever make, but when she slept with him, to Brandon, that was her making her choice.

_"Maybe it wasn't because you wanted to be with Dylan forever... but it meant that you didn't love me enough not to do it. I don't really want to be a bump in the road of Dylan and Kelly's love story."_

When Brandon slept with Emma, he got mad at Kelly for throwing away what they had on a meaningless fling when she was guilty of so much worse.

_"You've been biding your time until Dylan decides that he's ready to commit to you. We both know that if he was here, you'd go back to him in a heartbeat."_

It always came back to him and Brandon wasn't going to sit back and wait for his relationship to implode again. He wasn't going to sit back while Kelly used him and waited for Dylan.

"I should go." Brandon finally said before swiftly leaving.

It was truly time to move on.


	41. Missing You With (a) Few Regrets

_Hi! So, I know I said I probably wouldn't be able to post until Friday, but I realised that I wanted to keep this chapter the way it is and it was the next chapter I wanted to tweak, so hopefully we'll be able to have our daily updates after all!__There's nothing particularly monumental about this chapter, it's really just a set up for what is to come.__Enjoy! _

* * *

Chapter Forty-One- Missing You With (a) Few Regrets

"Momma!" Tommy exclaimed as he and Mollie bolted towards Kelly once they spotted her in the LAX arrivals lounge.

"Hi babies!" Kelly said happily as she bent down and hugged them tightly. "Oh I missed you so much!" she said as she gave them multiple kisses. She was immediately taken by how sun kissed they look. She wished she could tan like they could and Mollie's long blonde curls had gone even blonder too. "Did you have a good time?"

"It was the _best_ mom! We spent all day every day at the beach and daddy said my surfing is getting _really_ good." Mollie boasted with a little giggle. For the past 3 weeks, Mollie and Tommy had been in Hawaii with Dylan and Iris. While Kelly missed them like crazy, she was glad they could spend this time with Dylan and away from the drama that always surrounded them in Beverly Hills.

"I'm glad to hear that, we'll have to go to the beach this weekend so you can show me." Kelly insisted with a smile as she ran her hand over Mollie's blonde locks.

"For real?!" Tommy asked excitedly.

Kelly chuckled, "For real. Where's gigi?" Kelly asked, looking around for Iris who had flown back with them. She'd always insisted on being called something other than grandma. She claimed it didn't fit in with her aesthetic.

"She's just over there getting our suitcases." Mollie said as she pointed in the direction of the luggage carousel.

"Come on, we better go help her." Kelly said as she stood up and took the twins hands.

"What did you do while we were gone?" Tommy asked.

"Oh, not a lot I'm afraid. We had a fundraiser for the clinic at the After Dark and I ate a lot of mega burgers."

Mollie sighed, "Man, I missed mega burgers _big time_."

Kelly laughed, "well then that will definitely be our first pit stop." She didn't doubt for a second that they had been spoilt rotten while they were in Hawaii, but she hadn't seen them in three weeks, a little extra spoiling couldn't hurt.

"Did you know dad can cook now?" Tommy asked.

Kelly raised her eyebrow, "Oh really?" That was probably one of the _last_ things she expected to hear that Dylan could do. She was also glad to actually hear something about what Dylan had been doing over the past few years, no matter how minor. Any time they spoke, he'd always been pretty mum about his life. He never gave anything away.

Tommy nodded, "Yeah, he made us the best pasta I think I have ever had."

"Seems like all that time he spent in Italy paid off." Kelly remarked. She remembered that Dylan had sent the twins numerous postcards from various Italian destinations.

"He should come to Beverly Hills sometime so you can taste it." Mollie said.

Kelly smiled sadly. She didn't want it to show that she wanted that more than anything, but she also couldn't hide her emotions entirely. "I'm sure he will one day honey."

* * *

After spending some time with Iris and waving her off as she went to Ojai for a few days, Kelly and the twins made their way to the Pit for some burgers and peach pie.

"Ah, my two favourite customers have returned!" Nat said cheerfully as Mollie and Tommy jumped up onto the stools at the bar.

"Hi Uncle Nat! Three mega burgers please" Mollie requested happily.

"Coming right up Moo." Nat said as they all thanked him.

The door opened behind them and the twins turned around to see Donna smiling at them.

"Hi twinnies!" she greeted happily as they jumped off their stools and hugged her.

"Auntie Donna!"

"Wow, this is a tight hug" Donna said with a laugh.

"We loved Hawaii Auntie Don, but we missed you all_ so_ much." Mollie told her as they kept hugging her.

Donna giggled, "We all missed you too cuties."

Tommy turned around to Kelly, "Mom, can we go see Brandon? We have to tell him about the dolphins we saw!"

Kelly gulped. She hadn't heard from Brandon in about two weeks. She wasn't sure what to tell them. "Uh... Brandon is in New York right now hon, but you can see him as soon as he gets back. Why don't you two go get us a table, I need to chat to Auntie Donna about something." Kelly said as they nodded and ran over to their favourite corner booth.

Kelly sighed and ran her hand through her hair, "I'm not sure that Brandon and I aren't together has really sunk in for them."

"He said it himself, he's always going to be a big part of their lives." Donna reminded her.

"Yeah, you're right." Kelly concluded. "They had a really good time with Dylan."

"Yeah, they're looking all sun-kissed and smiley." Donna said as she smiled over at the twins who were giggling about something together.

"You know in the past two years they've maybe only seen Dylan and I together 4 times. How _bizarre_ is that?" Kelly said letting out a laugh. For two people meant to be co-parenting, they didn't really do a lot of it at the same time.

"I guess that's their normal. It doesn't bother them." Donna assured her.

"I know, but they're starting pre-k really soon and they're going to hear all about 'normal' families and I don't want them to feel like they're missing something or that we don't love them any less because we don't live in the same city." Kelly told her.

Donna frowned, "What are you saying Kel? You thinking about moving to London to 'co-parent' with Brenda and Dylan?"

_"Oh god no_. I'm just making an observation..." Kelly mumbled.

Donna looked at her friend sadly. Jackie had filled her in on the role Dylan had to play in her calling off the wedding. She couldn't say that she was surprised. Dylan and Kelly were so in love with each other, it completely consumed them. Even when Dylan was gone, Kelly still felt the repercussions of their love. Hell, they had two kids together. Nothing could ever erase what they had. Donna figured someone pretty special had to come into her life to change how she felt about Dylan, and she wasn't sure that was possible.

"You really miss him, huh?" Donna asked quietly. Ever since Dylan left, Donna never really dared to ask Kelly about it. She knew it hurt and she didn't want to upset her further.

"It's funny... when Jackie and Mel got married at the end of junior year, I was dancing with Dylan and then Jake walked over and interrupted. When Dylan let go of me and walked away... _I missed him_. He was gone for 5 seconds and I already missed him." Kelly said with a scoff. "Imagine having someone in your life that makes you feel that way."

"It's a rare thing to find."

"Yeah... but, my mother was right. He's not here and I can't see him coming back any time soon so I need to move on. I need to forget about him because when he is here, he tends to cause me more harm than good, so..."

Donna shook her head, "You don't really believe that..." in _her_ mind, Dylan was nothing but good for Kelly. Sure, they fought and got angry and pressed each other's buttons, but no one ever loved her like he did.

"Yes, I do. I should get back to the twins." Kelly said as she left the bar and walked over to Mollie and Tommy with a smile on her face.

Donna watched with a worried glance. She didn't think it was good for Kelly to leave all this unfinished business with Dylan. She'd left it alone for 3 years. It was time to face the music.

* * *

A few days later, Mollie and Tommy opened the side door of the beach hut to find Brandon on the other side.

"Brandon!" they shouted happily as they rushed to hug him.

"There's my favourite twinnies!" he said as he bent down and hugged them tightly. "I heard you two had the most magical time in Hawaii."

"It was _so_ beautiful Brandon." Mollie said with a smile.

"We spent all day at the beach and ate the most delicious food" Tommy added.

Brandon smiled, "Sounds like a great holiday. How was your dad?"

"Good! He said to say hello"

"Well, hello to him too, I'll have to give him a call soon." Brandon said as he stood up straight and Kelly appeared at the door.

"Twinnies can you go get your shoes on please?" Kelly asked. Mollie and Tommy had started pre-k a few days ago and they were already loving it. They were bubbly and sociable kids, so naturally they were in their element. "They really missed you." Kelly said with a little laugh. She had spoken to Brandon on the phone a few times, but it was weird seeing him face to face after a few weeks. "How was New York?"

"New York was great, we should talk about it." He said as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

Kelly wasn't convinced she was going to like what he had to say, so in classic Kelly style, she tried to avoid and delay. "Yeah, absolutely. Does later suit? I need to get the twinnies to pre-k and then run some errands."

"Yeah, later's fine, I could always tell you later how I was offered a job at the Washington bureau of a major metropolitan newspaper." he blurted out, figured that while he had her, he should just tell her.

Kelly plastered on the best smile that she could, "You were? Wow. That's- that's _so_ good Brandon, congratulations."

"They want me to start right away." he told her cautiously.

Kelly nodded her head, "That's great... Mollie, Tommy, let's go! Help me to the car?" she asked as she handed him some bags of stuff.

"Kelly. I'm going to _move_." he said, making his decision clear to her.

"I know and I think that's a good thing for you." Kelly said with a nod and a smile, but Brandon wasn't buying her sincerity for one second. Before he could say anything else, Mollie and Tommy appeared at the door ready to go. "Ah, there you two are, let's go! Say bye to Brandon."

"Bye Brandon!" they said simultaneously as they all rushed out, leaving Brandon standing there, completely stumped.

* * *

Kelly had managed to avoid talking to Brandon about his move for the next few days. In the process of her avoidance, she had met a lawyer whose office was above the new shop she and Donna were opening. His name was Matt and he seemed very sweet and he had taken a real shining to her. She couldn't help but be charmed by this guy, but she was still determined to keep him at arm's length for the time being.

Kelly soon realised that she couldn't put off seeing Brandon any longer—because he was leaving _today_. Nat had closed down the Pit so they could have a goodbye party for him. Kelly stood anxiously at the counter, watching as Mollie and Tommy ran past, nearly knocking over three people in the process.

"Tommy, Mollie, _please_ be careful you're going to hurt somebody." Kelly warned as Matt walked over to her.

"I didn't realise you had kids." he said with a small smile.

"Yeah... I was 19, they were a bit of a surprise." she said with a little laugh. A surprise that she was eternally grateful for everyday.

"They're cute."

"_Deceivingly_ cute." Kelly warned him. To anyone who didn't know them, their bright blue eyes made them look like angels, Mollie's blonde curls also helped her case, but most knew better. They weren't bad kids at all, but they weren't perfect either. "They've got a hint of the devil in their eyes. That's all their father." she joked.

"Is he around?" Matt cautiously asked.

"He lives in London... they see each other when they can." Kelly said vaguely, as Matt realised this was perhaps an off-limits topic.

Soon enough, Brandon announced that he had to leave, seeing at he had an early flight in the morning. He made his way around the room saying his goodbyes. When he came to Kelly and the twins, he decided to take this one outside, away from prying eyes.

He bent down in front of the twins who had sad looks on their faces. In their minds, it was like they were losing a father figure and it was bad enough that they couldn't see Dylan everyday.

"You know, I think I'm going to miss you two most of all." Brandon truthfully told them. They brought so much light into the lives of everyone who knew them and Brandon knew he would never take that feeling for granted.

"Do you really have to go?" Tommy asked quietly. Kelly had told them he was leaving, but they refused to believe it. Now, it was all becoming more real.

"Yeah bud, I do. But no matter where I am, no matter what I am doing—I would drop everything at a moment's notice if either of you needed me. You have been a blessing in my life and I can't wait to watch you grow up and take the world by storm." he said proudly, feeling himself getting a little emotional. He _never_ cried. He couldn't quite believe he was feeling the urge to do so now.

Mollie and Tommy leaped forward and hugged him tightly as Kelly stood to the side, holidng back her own tears.

"We love you Brandon" Mollie whispered as Brandon smiled.

"I love you too."

Mollie and Tommy walked over to Kelly and hugged her legs and she rested her hands on their backs.

"I have no regrets." Kelly simply told Brandon. Neither of them had ever really been good at saying goodbye.

Brandon smiled softly, "Me either." he replied, before walking forward and hugging her one last time.

* * *

A few months had passed since Brandon's departure and things were moving along smoothly in Beverly Hills. Donna and Kelly's store had been progressing nicely, Kelly was still keeping Matt at arms length, but was enjoying getting to know him (probably enjoying it more than she was willing to admit right now.) Donna's cousin Gina had also moved to LA and Donna was thinking about offering her the spare room in their apartment.

She broached the topic with Kelly while they were cleaning up after thanksgiving dinner at the Walsh house.

"She seems nice." Kelly said as she handed Mollie and Tommy the plates to dry before putting away.

"Yeah, I was thinking if she decides to stay maybe she could take our 4th bedroom?" Donna asked.

Tommy groaned, "_seriously_ auntie Don? We were finally going to get our own rooms!" he complained.

"Oh, but you two _love_ sharing a room." Kelly piped in.

Mollie sighed, "we can't share a room forever mom..." these two really were 4 going on 14.

"Well, how about we make a deal. You can stop drying these dishes and go play a game in the living room if Gina can move in." Mollie reasoned.

"Deal!" Tommy quickly agreed as he and Mollie bolted from the kitchen. They would do anything to avoid chores.

Kelly giggled, "Easy as pie."

Donna laughed too just as Matt walked into the room.

"Hi Matt" Donna greeted, before wiggling her eyebrows at Kelly and leaving.

"I had a really good time tonight." Matt said as he helped Kelly with the dishes.

Kelly smiled, "Good, I'm glad. I'm sure it'll be the first of many."

"I hope so." he said as he returned her smile. They stared at each other for a moment before Matt cautiously leaned in. Kelly closed the gap between them and kissed him. She had been holding off for so long but tonight—she just couldn't do it anymore. She didn't want to do it anymore. She really liked this man. He was kind and decent and looked at her with such wonder. Why wouldn't she want to explore that?

They broke away from the kiss and Matt smiled, "I have wanted to do that for a while now." he confessed.

Before Kelly could reply, they heard some commotion in the hallway and left the kitchen to see what was going on.

"What's going on?" she asked with a smile, wondering who Donna was hugging. Everyone froze and said nothing, just as Donna released the man—and Kelly's breath caught in her throat.

_"Happy thanksgiving Kel."_ Dylan said as he stood at the door and Kelly's face fell, completely _shocked_. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't quite believe that he was standing in front of her—on a day other than Christmas Day. She didn't know why she was so taken aback. Maybe because she had thought about seeing him every day since she broke up with Brandon and now he was actually _here_. It was like the universe was giving her a sign, and the way he was looking at her,_ god_—the intensity of his stare_ hadn't changed a bit._

"You don't look all that happy to see me." Dylan observed, seeing that she was stunned into silence.

"Just surprised, that's all." Kelly managed to reply as everyone continued to stand awkwardly around them. "How long are you staying?" she asked, knowing better than to think that this was permanent.

"I don't know. I'm still waiting for my hug." Dylan said as Kelly smiled and walked forward, hugging him tightly. She couldn't explain how good it felt to be in his arms again.

Before she got completely lost in him, she took a step back towards Matt, but her hand lingered in Dylan's for as long as possible.

"Where are the kids?" Dylan asked as he looked around the hallway.

"Who is that?" Matt asked quietly.

_"Daddy!"_ Mollie and Tommy exclaimed when they came into the hallway and jumped into their father's arms.

Kelly smiled awkwardly, "That's daddy..." she half joked as she saw Matt's face fall.

"There are my two favourite people in the entire world" Dylan said as he lifted them up and hugged them closely. "Man, you must have grown like 8 _feet_ since Hawaii..." he joked.

Mollie giggled, "Daddy you can't grow 8 feet in a few months..."

"I think you two could do anything you wanted if you set your mind to it" he said as he set them on the floor.

"That's Dylan? Your kids' deadbeat dad?" Matt asked quietly as Mollie and Tommy talked away to Dylan.

Kelly's head shot round "Hey, he's not a deadbeat dad." she defended quickly.

"He hasn't lived in Beverly Hills for 3 years." Matt reminded her. She didn't know much about their past, but considering how little Kelly talked about it, he figured it couldn't be good.

"Matt, don't talk about something you know nothing about." Kelly said as she walked forward and took a cup from Steve who had lifted out a bottle to toast to Dylan's return.

"To Dylan" David said as they all raised their glasses. Dylan joined in—but had his eyes firmly set on Kelly, who couldn't break her own stare away from him.

This was the _last_ thing she expected to happen. What did all of this mean? She truly had no idea what the next few weeks had in store.


	42. Always a Mystery

_Hi everyone! Thanks for your reviews, you guys have some really interesting thoughts... firstly, I __am in complete agreement over Matt and Gina I did not like them in the slightest. Matt was dull, Gina was just mean, but I always chose to view them as distractions. In this story, it's the exact same. Matt is Kelly's Brandon 2.0 because she's scared to let Dylan back in and Gina is Dylan's distraction from the fact that Kelly won't give in to him and in a lot of ways, to avoid him giving in to Kelly_, _so I don't believe they were really the reason Dylan and Kelly stayed a part. It was a lot more complicated than that!_

I_ understand how seasons 9 and 10 could be seen as a let down, so hopefully you'll enjoy my twist on it all. In a lot of ways, the remaining chapters are going to be just as frustrating as the show, but i don't think their relationship is something that comes easy... there is still a lot of tension and love and excitement and drama to look forward to though!_

_For now._.._ what happened between Dylan and Brenda while he was gone? How do Kelly and Dylan feel about Dylan's previous opinions on soulmates? Time to add another few pieces to the puzzle... enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Forty-Two- Always a Mystery

_"So, my life's in the tank and in walks this old friend and totally takes me out of myself. Where has Dylan been? Why is he back? Today's rumour is that he's smuggling diamonds. But with him, it's always a mystery. Anyway—welcome home Dylan."_

Kelly sat opposite Dylan in the After Dark, taking in David's words and realising he was exactly right. Dylan always played his cards close to his chest. Nobody really knew what was going on with him, even Kelly who knew him better than anyone.

"It's true." Kelly said as she leaned her elbows on the table.

Dylan frowned, "What's true?"

"That everything's a mystery with you." she said as she took a sip of her wine. They had spent the past day solely focused on the twins and enjoying their time together as a family. This was the first time Kelly had Dylan alone. It was the first time she was able to find out why he was here. Whenever he came back at Christmas it felt different. Kelly would ask him about his life and he would always reply with _'don't worry about it Kel'_ and that would be that. But now, it wasn't Christmas. Could this be a permanent move? Was she finally going to get some answers about the last 3 years?

"You know, I think we've pretty much covered the re-meet and greet, what do you say we go?" he asked, trying to avoid any questions about his reasons for returning. His answer was simple, but he was struggling even to admit that. He was struggling to be vulnerable because any time he was, it felt like it came back to bite him in the ass.

"You've been gone for three years and now you're back... is it too much to ask why?" Kelly questioned. She almost resigned herself to the fact that he might never come back.

Dylan shrugged, "I missed my kids."

Kelly sighed and raised an eyebrow, "Though I do believe that... there's more to this. I can tell." She knew him better than he was giving her credit for. Mollie and Tommy weren't the only reason he was here, she could feel it in her bones.

"A wise man once told me- keep smiling. It makes people wonder what you've been up to." he said mysteriously.

Meanwhile, Kelly wasn't the only one wondering about Dylan's sudden reappearance. _Matt_ kept thinking about how quick Kelly was to jump to Dylan's defence at thanksgiving, especially when she barely wanted to talk about him before he showed up. He was confused to say the least. He sat outside the After Dark, ready to light a cigarette when Steve walked past. He figured if anyone would have answers for him it would be Steve.

"Kelly's inside. With Dylan. Anything you want to tell me?" Matt asked through his teeth.

Steve awkwardly scratched the back of his head. He didn't want to get into the sordid details of Kelly and Dylan's past and even if he did—he wouldn't know where to begin.

"I think the fact that they have two kids together says a lot." Steve simply chose to reply.

"I can tell that it's something a little bit more than two good friends co-parenting." Matt replied.

Steve nodded his head, realising that Matt wasn't going to settle for anything less than a proper explanation. While he felt like he wasn't the one he should be getting it from, a little bit of information couldn't hurt.

"They once thought there were soulmates." Steve told him briefly. It was a lot more complicated than that, but in essence, that was what it stemmed down to for them. They thought they were soulmates, and so did everyone else. Hell, Steve _still_ thought they were. Ever since the Brandon, Kelly wedding fiasco, he was even more convinced that it was true. He felt like it was destiny that Dylan rocked up not long after.

Matt raised an eyebrow, "Before Brandon?"

"Before Brandon, during Brandon, after Brandon." Steve said. While he didn't know _all_ the details of their relationship, he knew enough to know that they had a hold on each other that they couldn't break free from.

Matt scoffed, "must have been some connection if it came between her and Brandon." From what he could tell, Kelly and Brandon were incredibly solid. Dylan must have been something pretty special to mess that up. Or maybe he'd just been naive to think what she had with Brandon was solid. Maybe Dylan was a whole other ball game. A whole new kind of love that he'd never seen so could never appreciate. But how was he to know? While Dylan kept his cards close to his chest, in a lot of ways, so did Kelly.

Steve nodded, "Brandon brought out the good in Kelly... Dylan exposed it _all_."

Matt nodded his head, realising in that moment, he probably had no chance against this guy. However, there was something really special about Kelly and he just wasn't prepared to give her up without a fight.

* * *

The following day, Kelly made her way round to Matt's office, figuring she owed him an explanation for everything that was going on. She had no idea what she was going to tell him. She was hoping the right thing to say would just come to her in the moment. She did know however that the first thing she had to do was apologise. They sheepishly said hello to one another before Matt leaned back in his chair and Kelly stood awkwardly in front of him.

"I'm sorry for getting a little angry the other night. I just—I don't like people bashing Dylan as a dad." she explained with a sigh. While neither she nor Dylan could claim that they were perfect parents, they_ could_ claim that they loved their children with everything in them. They would always stick up for each other as parents because they always had the best intentions for them- even if that meant leaving Beverly Hills.

"He's never here Kelly. How can you defend him?" Matt asked. He wasn't prepared to stand down from his original opinion just yet.

"He went away because his wife died and he needed some help getting back on his feet so that he could be the best dad that he could be and I don't blame him for that. My kids deserve a good dad." Kelly reasoned. She in no way blamed Dylan for wanting to escape after Toni's death. She figured she would want to do the same.

"Dads are there all the time, not just every now and again."

"He calls them every night before bed even if that means him waking up at 3am from wherever he is to do it. He's here every Christmas and they spend time with him in either Baja or Hawaii every holiday. They lived with him in London for 4 months a few years back when I wasn't doing so good." Kelly explained. She wasn't sure she was ready for Matt to know all the details about her little cocaine habit.

"Right..." Matt simply replied. He felt like he was getting a lot of information, but at the same time, she was really holding back. It was almost like she didn't want to reveal the details of her relationship with Dylan because it was sacred to her. It was hers and hers alone.

Kelly sighed, "We have a very long and complicated history and he has a very long and complicated history with Beverly Hills... it's easier this way."

"And now that he's back?" Matt challenged.

"We're going to be the best co-parents we can be." Kelly responded. That was the truth. No matter what would go down between them, they would always put Mollie and Tommy first.

"Is that it? Really?"

Kelly raised an eyebrow, "You don't believe me?"

"Steve told me you once thought you were soulmates." Matt told her. "That sounds a little more serious than co-parents to me."

Kelly nodded her head. Soulmates... that word had plagued her more than she'd cared to admit. She would freely say that Dylan was her soulmate, but he claimed to have _two_. It didn't really mean as much to her anymore. Not when Dylan had shared that word with someone else.

Kelly gulped and looked at her feet. She knew it wasn't fair to downplay what she had with Dylan just to make Matt feel better, so she decided to be as honest as she could. "Yeah. We did." she confessed as Matt looked at his hands. "I'm not going to stand here and down play what we had. I've known him since I was 5 years old and he has been my best friend, my love and my family ever since. For a long time, he was the_ only_ constant in my life and I will be forever grateful to him and I will love him till the day I die... but right now, we are just two parents trying to raise their kids the best we can."

And that was Kelly's truth. She had called off her wedding partly because of Dylan, but the moment he swooped back into her life she closed up. She wasn't going to let him into her heart any time soon. They had far too much _stuff_ to work out before any of that could happen and no matter how much she wanted him—she just didn't know if it was a good idea. They always brought chaos into each other's life, how was that worth it?

Kelly soon made her way back downstairs and stopped when she saw Dylan sitting at one of the tables, staring right at her. She cautiously walked towards him.

"So. You ready to be taken away from all your troubles?" Dylan asked. "We can get the kids on the way."

She loved that with just one look at her, Dylan knew there was a lot on her mind. Between her grandfather being so sick and this whole 'Dylan's back' thing, to say there was a lot on her mind would be an understatement.

Kelly scoffed, "You always were pretty good at making me forget my problems."

"Some things never change."

"Yet a lot of times they do..." she mumbled. "You can take me away from my troubles if you want, but you have to be prepared to listen to them." she said as she sat opposite him.

"Alright... start with Brandon." While Kelly was looking for an explanation to his return, Dylan was looking for an explanation as to why she ended things with Brandon.

"Brandon and I were best friends but we didn't swing from chandeliers." Kelly said with a sigh as Dylan smirked. She was using his analogy of love. _How ironic._ "What?" she asked, immediately picking up on his smugness.

"Nothing, it's just—you and I have been many things to each other over the years Kel, best friends included and as far as chandeliers go..." he said with his smile widening. They'd swung from chandeliers from the moment they met each other and they hadn't been able to replicate it with anyone else since.

Kelly tried to hold back her smile, "I have a vague recollection."

"So, what you're saying is that somehow I came between you two?"

Kelly rolled her eyes, "That is _not_ what I am saying." she lied. She wasn't exactly ready to admit why she called off her wedding to Dylan.

"Isn't it?" he challenged further, not buying her denial.

"No, I mean—not exactly."

"You missed what _we_ had." he concluded.

"No... what we had was missing from what I had with Brandon." she said, twisting around the words slightly, but essentially, Dylan was right.

Dylan nodded, "Ok, I'm glad we got that figured out..." he said, accepting her round about answer of admitting that it had everything to do with him.

"You still haven't told me why you're back." Kelly said, taking her turn to challenge him. She wanted answers just as much as he did.

Dylan shrugged, "Sure I did. I missed the twinnies."

"Dylan..."

"I sold the house, so I'll be staying at the peninsula, but I'll come by tonight with some dinner, we can spend some time with the kids." he said as he stood from the table. He quickly kissed her cheek and went to walk away but Kelly spoke up.

"You being here scares me." she confessed.

"Why?"

"... I hadn't planned on it." she confessed as he nodded his head. Dylan was beginning to realise that he maybe couldn't swoop back into Kelly's life with no issues. Sure, he could come back at Christmas and they could pretend that everything was fine, but that wasn't their reality. Their reality was a lot more complicated than that. He understood how Kelly felt when she said he scared her. The immense love he had for her scared him too. It devastated them to lose it once, they couldn't go through with losing that again. So, they were scared and they still had a lot of growing to do.

* * *

That night, Dylan and Kelly sat in the door frame of the bathroom while Mollie and Tommy messed around in the bath. Kelly had filled him in a little on what was going on with her grandfather. She was hoping that if she opened up to him, they could swing back into old habits and he could be honest with her.

"My grandfather saw some of the worst fighting of WWII, yet most of his memories are of how beautiful Europe is." Kelly said as she curled her knees up to her chest.

"Yeah, it is." Dylan confirmed.

"He went over there to fight a war and when it was over he came home. Why did you?"

Dylan smirked, "Nice try"

Kelly playfully rolled her eyes, "I thought so."

Dylan looked at Kelly as she watched the twins in the bath. She always got more and more beautiful every time he saw her, which he didn't think was possible. He had been right when he was a little kid in saying that she was an angel and he would always think of her in that way. She meant the world to him and over the past few years, he hadn't been very good at showing that. He knew he owed it to her to be honest about why he was here—and that it wasn't temporary.

"Have you ever heard of the mountain K2?" he asked as Kelly shook her head. "I was on an expedition up the face of that mountain and two people died. One of them should have been me. It was about 2 years ago. Right after I left Brenda."

Kelly's head shot up, "You and Brenda haven't been together for _two years?"_

Dylan remained silent for a moment as he thought back to 2 years ago. When he left Beverly Hills, Dylan went travelling through Europe. He did everything he could to forget, but it wasn't until he landed on Brenda's doorstep in London that he learned a value lesson. They hung out for a few weeks, Brenda had given him a place to crash. The old spark was undoubtedly still there, though they both knew it wasn't as strong as before. It could never be as strong as before. Not after the love he experienced with Kelly. Yet, they fell into old habits. They started fooling around and it was good for a while, but Brenda knew Dylan's heart wasn't in it. He was always elsewhere with her. She'd tried to brush it off for a while, but she knew that wasn't in her nature. She always faced things head on and she knew this should be no different, especially if she wanted to help Dylan. When she confronted him about what he was doing with his life, she was surprised how honest he was with her.

_"I'm just trying to forget Bren." he confessed, as Brenda could see the pain in his eyes. "I try so hard to forget her but I can't."_

_Brenda frowned, "Dylan, you shouldn't try to forget her, she was your wife-" she began. As far as she was aware, that was why Dylan was here. His wife had died and he needed to escape. _

_"I'm not talking about Toni." Dylan interrupted. Yes, he missed her, yes he grieved for her, but he didn't want to forget her and how she made him feel in that short space of time he was with her. But he did want to forget the other woman in his life. The one who made it so wonderful yet so unbearable at the same time._

_Brenda nodded her head as she began to catch on to Dylan's problems, "You're talking about Kelly."_

_"Yeah... my soulmate..." he said with a scoff. "I really wasn't all that good at showing her I meant that huh?" _

_"You married someone else Dylan." Brenda said with a nod. Of course that made it seem like he didn't mean what he said to Kelly and she wasn't about to sugarcoat it just to make him feel better. He needed to work through this and work through his pain._

_"I loved Toni. I really did. She made me feel alive again when I didn't think it was possible and I don't regret marrying her... but when I told Kelly that I thought it was possible to have more than one soulmate, I think I was just trying to justify it to myself. I was just trying to make myself see that I could move on and be happy without Kelly." he reasoned. He knew it probably sounded pathetic, and in a way, it was. Both he and Kelly had always been good at throwing themselves at other people to try and escape their own minds and the problems they created for themselves. "Fat load of good that did me, huh?"_

_Brenda sighed and paused. She wanted to choose her next words carefully. "Dylan, you can't forget about her because in your heart you don't want to and I don't think you should either."_

_"Even if it's torture knowing what I lost?" Dylan asked._

_Brenda nodded. "Yeah. Because even though you lost it, it was also one of the greatest things to ever happen to you and you should never try and forget the good in your life. You should never let it overshadow the bad. Your relationship gave you a lot. It gave you two beautiful babies for starters" she said with a little smile that Dylan couldn't help but reciprocate. "I know it's hard, but you can remember your relationship and find a way to live without it too."_

_Dylan nodded his head, "You are wise beyond your years Brenda Walsh."_

_Brenda smirked, "Why thank you..."_

Dylan had then left London and went on his expedition up K2. Almost immediately after he'd come down the mountain, he'd received a phone call from Brandon about Kelly's cocaine problem and he rushed to Beverly Hills to get the twins before he took them to Hawaii. After spending three weeks there and after Kelly told him to keep them, he took them back to London and Brenda let them stay in her apartment. It was crowded and it felt like a zoo most of the time, but Brenda wanted to do whatever she could to help. That was why Dylan had replied with Steve's birthday message from that address.

Dylan chose to remain mum about the details of his time with Brenda. He did tell her that it simply didn't work between them and they were just friends when he had the twins, but he figured his conversation with Brenda about forgetting and his soulmate regrets was a conversation for another time. It was a conversation for when their kids weren't sitting splashing around in the bath.

"I've seen you since then Dylan, why didn't you say anything before?" Kelly asked, feeling a little hurt that he'd mislead her on the nature of his relationship with Brenda. She knew he didn't really confirm it, but he didn't deny it either and it had plagued her thoughts since.

"Because... I wanted you to live your life without having me in the back of your mind. We've always consumed each other's worlds and you deserved better. I figured the less you knew the better." He explained.

Kelly scoffed, "In all honesty, you're always in the back of my mind. More often the _front_ than the back. You not talking to me about your life wouldn't change that." she confessed.

"Maybe... but now you know."

"What have you been doing then if you haven't been in London?"

Dylan smiled, "I learned to fly. When I was in Belgium, I raced motorcycles for a while but... the rest of the time I just tried to forget."

"Why?"

Dylan shrugged, "it seemed like the thing to do."

"Is that why you came back? Because it seemed like the thing to do?"

Dylan thought about it for a moment. He'd had all these experiences in Europe. Some near-death experiences that made him re-evaluate everything. His life was going nowhere. He was wasting it as he tried to avoid his problems. He was wasting it as he tried to avoid Kelly. But he couldn't do it any longer.

"I came back because this is my home. I missed my friends. I missed my kids."

Kelly finally understood. This wasn't a complicated thing. Dylan just missed his life. There was no elaborate explanation and there was no reason for there to be one. To Kelly, this was as good an answer as any.

"That's a good answer." she told him with a small and encouraging smile. She didn't want him to think that she didn't want him here, because she really did. She just knew it wouldn't be easy.

"Want a better one? I came back... because I also missed _you_." he finally admitted.

They looked at each other for a brief moment before Mollie and Tommy broke them out of their thoughts, saying they wanted to get out of the bath now. They got them out, dried and dressed for bed. Just like every night over the phone, Dylan told them a tale from his European escapades as their bedtime story. Kelly doubted that they were all true, but Mollie and Tommy loved them more than anything.

As Dylan tucked them in, Tommy thought to ask him an important question.

"Dad?"

"Yeah bud?"

"Are you really here to stay?" he asked quietly as he looked over at Mollie who had a hopeful look in her eyes.

"You miss having me around, huh?" he asked.

Tommy smiled, "_Big time_."

"Hawaii and Baja are always so much fun but if you were here forever- that would be so much better." Mollie added with her own beaming smile.

"Well, I promise you—I will be here. _Always_." he told them and he could say that he truly meant it. He was done running.

The twins smiled widely, overjoyed that they could see their dad every day now and not just hear his voice over the phone.

"You know, it's really nice seeing you and momma together." Tommy told him.

Dylan smiled, "You've seen us together before." he reminded his son.

"Sure we have, but only ever at Christmas and every now and again... but now you'll be around each other all the time." Mollie told him.

"Must be strange for you..." Dylan mumbled as he tried to understand what it was like for them never really having both parents be there at the same time.

"Maybe... but now it's special. We really like it." Tommy said quietly.

"Well, then I guess we'll have to some fun stuff together, just the four of us." Dylan said with a wink and a smile.

"Yeah!" the both exclaimed loudly.

Kelly walked into the room and laughed lightly, "What is all this shouting about?" she asked as she sat on the end of Mollie's bed.

"We're going to be a proper family mom!" Tommy said excitedly.

"Tommy we already are a proper family." Kelly reminded him. She had always made a point of telling them that just because their mom and dad weren't together, it doesn't mean they weren't a family.

"No, a _proper_ family, with both of you guys here all the time." Mollie clarified.

"Mols, families come in all shapes and sizes and just because your mom and dad aren't married or that your dad has lived in Europe for the past few years, doesn't make us any less of one." Kelly added. She really wasn't sure how this whole mom and dad being in the same place thing was going to work out, so she wanted to make it clear from the start that nothing could change how they were a family.

"Now we're just more mainstream." Tommy commented.

Dylan smirked, "That's a big word."

"We're in the top half of pre-k on our spelling and counting." Tommy boasted proudly. Dylan and Kelly had always made a point of teaching the twins new words and working on their maths since they were babies, so they were more than prepared for what they were doing in pre-k.

"Wow, smart cookies." Dylan said with a little laugh. He knew already that they were at the top of their class and it didn't surprise him in the slightest. "Get some sleep, we've got a whole life time of family fun to be had." he said as he kissed their heads and Kelly did the same.

"Goodnight momma, goodnight daddy" they each said.

"Goodnight twinnies, we love you."

Dylan closed the door over slightly behind them as he walked with Kelly into the living room.

"A life time of family fun huh?" Kelly asked with a raised eyebrow. She certainly wasn't opposed to the prospect.

"They were just saying how it's nice seeing the two of us in the same place." Dylan informed her as she nodded her head.

"Must be strange for them."

"No. Just special."


	43. Accountability and Thankfulness-Take Two

_So, this is a super long chapter. It was originally split in two, but the way it was split just made the first part feel a bit pointless as a chapter, so I decided to put the two of them together. A lot goes down and a lot of it will be familiar to you. For Dylan, he finally starts to see the value in moving on and growing up... enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Forty-Three- Accountability and Thankfulness - Take Two

Kelly was completely _defeated_. Her grandfather had emphysema and wanted to be left to die but Jackie was so reluctant to let that happen. So reluctant that he ended up putting Kelly in charge. The whole thing was completely overwhelming and she didn't know what to do. Selfishly, she wanted to keep him around for as long as possible, but how was it fair for her to prolong his suffering?

One thing that she was certain of throughout this whole thing was Dylan's marvellous ability to make her forget all her worries and fears. He let her let out her frustrations but then he also made her put them to one side and just _breathe_. He distracted her and made her feel peaceful, which very few people could do. Over the years, Kelly had still gone to Paradise Cove when she was feeling overwhelmed with life. It didn't quite feel the same, however, to be sitting there without Dylan. But this time—he found her. He found her there and it was like she had taken a time machine back to a better time when they were happy and in love and all was fine in the world. They had just sat in a comfortable silence for a while and it was just what Kelly needed.

It was only a few weeks before Christmas and Kelly couldn't come to terms with the fact that her grandfather might not be there for it. It was something she was trying to make peace with but it wasn't coming easy. She knew she had to respect his wishes, but it was taking a lot of inner strength. Dylan had been looking after the twins for the past few nights in order to give Kelly the space to think and talk things through with Jackie and Ed.

"I don't know guys..." Dylan said as he lounged on the sofa with Tommy and Mollie. "I really think Phil and Lil are the two most underrated Rugrats." he said in frustration as they watched them on TV.

Mollie giggled, "Daddy you're only saying that because they're twinnies like your twinnies."

Dylan shrugged, "I guess I just know how cool twins are. Though, they certainly do not hold a candle to you two."

Tommy and Mollie laughed just as there was a knock at the door and Dylan got up to answer it, happy to see Kelly on the other side.

"Hey. We were just watching the Rugrats." Dylan explained.

"Hi mom!" Tommy greeted happily while Mollie waved, not taking her eyes off the TV.

"Hey twinnies..." she replied quietly.

Dylan could immediately see that she was upset and turned back to the kids. "We'll just be outside..." he said as he closed the door over slightly and stood on the porch with Kelly.

"My grandpa's being released from the hospital tomorrow. He's going to die. He tried to quit smoking but he never could..." Kelly said as Dylan remained silent, just letting her talk. She then looked up at him and just stared at him for a moment, and Dylan could tell that the sadness in her eyes was about more than just her grandfather. "I keep telling myself that we're just old friends."

"Does that work for you?" Dylan asked.

Kelly shook her head. "No. All I have to do is look into Mollie and Tommy's eyes and know that that's not true." she said. Kelly lifted Dylan's hands and looked down at them. It probably seemed strange but she had really missed his hands. These hands had held her in her brightest moments and her darkest days and she missed them. "Something to do with your hands..." she mumbled. "That's what someone once told me about smoking."

"It's an addiction, it's terrible for you." Dylan said with a gulp. Kelly was his addiction and he was hers. They couldn't break the cycle, they couldn't stop the chaos. They couldn't let each other go—they didn't know _how_ to let each other go, even after all the time they spent apart.

"I keep saying I don't understand but... I lied to you." she said quietly.

Dylan frowned, "About what?"

"I said that you didn't come between me and Brandon but the truth is... I couldn't marry him when I knew what it was like to be loved by you." she confessed as Dylan merely stared at her, taken back by her words. He wasn't expecting such honesty from her. He didn't know what to do with it. Kelly didn't know what to do with her honesty either. Despite the part Dylan had to play, she had been doing ok without him. She was learning to be on her own, she was learning to live without him and she was developing something special with Matt.

"I was doing ok before you came back." she said sadly. That was the truth, but at the same time, she was so thankful that he did. He was the only person who had ever been able to truly keep her from drowning.

"Lately I've been thinking this probably isn't very good for you." Dylan said quietly. He didn't want to come here and ruin her life, but he couldn't deny how she instantly made his better from the moment he saw her. He selfishly couldn't give that up.

Kelly smirked and shook her head, "I don't care."

Dylan cautiously leaned forward as Kelly closed the gap between them. She kissed him like it was the first and last time, completely melting into him. She'd almost forgotten how good it felt to kiss him. She'd almost forgotten how _alive_ it made her feel.

Before things went too far, Kelly pulled back. She was in no way prepared to jump into anything with him right now. Not when there was so much they still hadn't talked about.

"If we're going to do this again, we need to not jump with two feet in." Kelly made clear.

Dylan sighed, "You're probably right..."

Kelly raised an eyebrow, "Probably?"

"... most definitely. I think we have to remember that it's not just us we need to worry about." he said as he nodded towards the living room where Mollie and Tommy we sitting, none the wiser.

"True." Kelly said with a nod. "And I still have a lot of questions about where you've been, what you've been doing, why you're here, where your head is at-"

Dylan chuckled, "I forgot how much of an over thinker you were."

"But it's one of the reasons you fell in love with me, right?" she teased.

Dylan smiled, "Your brain is the number one reason as to why I fell in love with you." he confirmed. "I uh—I had a question of my own you know."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, but you've answered it." Dylan said as a smirk played on his lips.

"And what was the question?"

"Whether this fire I have inside me whenever we're together is still reciprocated." he said as they stood mere inches apart.

Kelly gulped, "And what was my answer?"

"Based on that kiss? The fire you have for me will _never_ die."

* * *

Kelly woke up the following morning with a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. While she enjoyed her kiss with Dylan, she couldn't help but feel a little off about the whole thing. Something just didn't feel right. Something with _Dylan_ just didn't feel right. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, however. So, she decided that she would take the whole thing very slowly. She wasn't about to dive into a relationship that neither of them were ready for.

She was surprised, however, when she arrived into work with Donna and Gina that morning to see Dylan, Mollie and Tommy sitting outside the shop.

"What are you guys doing here so early on a Saturday?" she asked. "I thought you'd be watching cartoons and pigging out on Captain Crunch and Fruit Loops."

"We thought maybe the four of us could go for breakfast." Dylan suggested with a small smirk on his face that caught Kelly's attention. What was he planning?

"I don't know, we're pretty busy on Saturdays and it's the Christmas rush-" Kelly began as she looked towards Donna.

"No, you should go." Donna insisted after seeing the hopeful looks on the twin's faces. "Gina and I can handle things."

Kelly looked back at them and paused for a moment before smiling, "Ok, let's go."

* * *

After a short car ride, Kelly grew even more confused when they pulled up outside a small airport. The twins weren't questioning it, so she figured they all knew something she didn't.

"In case you haven't noticed we're at an airport..." Kelly said as they walked through the building.

"Why you_ are_ observant..." he mocked as Kelly rolled her eyes. "I know we're at an airport but this is not our final stop."

"I thought we were going for huevos rancheros?" Kelly said with a raised eyebrow.

"Mollie Moo, where does one have to go for authentic huevos rancheros?" Dylan asked his daughter.

"Caboooooooo!" Mollie exclaimed in excitement.

Kelly's eyes widened, "Cabo San Lucas, Mexico?!"

"Congratulations Bob, tell her what she's won!" Dylan joked. "That is our ride" he said nodding towards the private jet in front of them.

Kelly couldn't hold back her smile, "We're going to breakfast on a jet?"

Tommy shook his head, "Don't be silly mom... we're going for brunch."

Dylan scooped Mollie and Tommy up under his arms and carried them to the plane. Kelly watched them laugh for a minute, before letting out her own laugh at the extravagance of the situation. Who was she to say no to authentic huevos rancheros in Cabo? She quickly moved to join her family on the plane, determined to put her worries behind her and enjoy her day.

* * *

"Christmas rush one minute, paradise the next." Kelly said with a smile as she leant back in her chair.

Dylan smiled, "Still can't believe you're in Mexico, huh?"

Kelly giggled, "Did I say that already?"

"Yeah about five times. Which from anybody else would be strange, but from you, it's charming." he said as Kelly blushed with embarrassment. "Jorge." Dylan called as the waiter he was clearly familiar with came over. "Can we get these two some churros and chocolate sauce?" he requested as Mollie and Tommy's eyes widened in anticipation.

"Right away Mr McKay."

"Dylan, you're going to cause their teeth to fall out." Kelly said as she ran her finger down one of Mollie's french braids.

"We promise to brush them _soooo_ good tonight mom!" Tommy insisted, not wanting to miss out on his churros.

"For sure!" Mollie added. "We _love_ churros..."

"Would you like to come and see the chef make them over here? He does it from scratch every time." Jorge asked as they looked back at their parents.

"Mom, dad, can we please? _Please?_" Tommy begged.

"Ok, but make sure we can see you at all times!" Kelly called after them as they bolted from the table and followed Jorge over to the stand.

Kelly and Dylan sat in a momentary silence before Kelly took the opportunity to find out what Dylan's intentions were in bringing her out here.

"So... why am I here Dylan?" she said, choosing not to be subtle about the whole thing.

Dylan shrugged, "you said you wanted to take things slow."

Kelly let out a little laugh, "So you flew us to Mexico on a private jet?"

"I need to know where we stand." he said seriously.

"And where do we stand?"

"I don't know. You tell me, you're the one seeing _Matt_..." he said with a hint of bitterness in his voice as he watched Kelly recoil from him. "Ok, that's not a good idea... why don't we take a walk?" he suggested, realising that there was no reason for them to ruin a perfectly good family trip by talking about Kelly's love life.

"Maybe we _should_ talk..." Kelly insisted. She wasn't prepared to fall back into old habits without having a conversation first.

"It's your call, but me, personally? I'd like to have some fun with you and our kids." he responded.

Kelly too realised that it maybe wasn't such a bad idea to just enjoy themselves while they had the opportunity, so that's what they did. Mollie and Tommy munched on their churros while they walked around the market, picking up all sorts of things from sombreros to ornaments. They even got a family photo with a donkey that Kelly knew she would be framing.

"What do we say Tommy?" Dylan asked as he paid the photographer.

"Gracias!" Tommy said brightly from Dylan's arms.

"Good job my man" Dylan said as he set him back on his feet. "I'm going to buy you guys something special, I'll be right back, stay close to mom." he insisted as he walked off in the opposite direction.

Before picking up some horchatas, Dylan made one more private pit stop to get something special for himself—_drugs_. To say he'd been dabbling a little over the past few years would have been an understatement. They made him feel better, they helped him escape, even if it was just for a little while. He'd managed to keep it under control and not go completely off the edge, but coming back to Beverly Hills had been a lot harder than he had anticipated. He was finally facing his demons and he didn't feel strong enough to do it. He'd fixed up the speedster, only to have it smashed in front of him and there was nothing he could do about the bullet holes that remained in the seat. So, he sold the car. The car that held so many good memories that had been overridden by the bad—and he was letting the bad take over his life now. He could only imagine how Kelly would react if she found out the truth about his drug habit, so he was trying to be as stealth as possible, hoping that it would never catch up to him.

He hid the drugs in an old ornament Kelly bought and safely smuggled them over the border. When they arrived back at the apartment that night, Mollie and Tommy were completely high on sugar and in no mood to go to bed.

"Ok you two, sombreros off, bath time." Kelly insisted as she set their purchases down.

"But mom, they're so cool!" Mollie said as she admired hers in the mirror.

"You can put them on afterwards, come on, go get yourself ready." Kelly said as they both groaned and sulked into their room.

Kelly chuckled at their dramatics before turning around to Dylan who was staring right at her. She couldn't help but smile at him. There was just something in the way that he looked at her. It was like she was the only person on Earth that mattered. It was like he was staring into her soul and found everything he saw to be beautiful. He leaned forward and kissed her. Kelly allowed herself to get lost in him for a moment, before the phone rang and she heard Matt's voice over the machine. She broke away from him with a sigh as the guilt split through her body. Sure, Matt wasn't her boyfriend, but she felt something for him and something felt undeniably _off_ about Dylan. She wasn't buying his 'I'm back and I'm perfectly fine' act one bit. Timing also had never been their strong suit. Now just didn't feel like the time for them to become something.

Kelly walked over to the phone and answered it, while Dylan took the opportunity to slip the drugs from the ornament into his pocket.

"Matt, hi" Kelly said down the line. "I was just out Christmas shopping with a friend. I didn't go in to work today." Kelly lied as she walked back over to Dylan, who immediately started kissing her neck. "Yeah, we're still on for the dance marathon at the club..." she said, allowing herself to get briefly distracted by Dylan. It's like he'd completely forgotten their kids were just in the other room getting ready for their bath. "No, no I'm fine... yeah... I'll talk to you tomorrow" she said quickly before hanging up.

Dylan turned her around so she was facing him, "What are you doing?" Kelly asked as she pushed him away.

"You lied, I like that." he said quietly.

Kelly sighed, "There is nothing good about what I just did."

"I know, but you did it anyway..." he said as he nipped the skin of her jaw between his lips.

"I know you and I often get ourselves into a bad habit of sneaking around and lying but we're not in high school anymore Dylan, this is can't happen." Kelly said sternly.

"What is wrong with having a little bit of _fun?_"

"Dylan you and I can never just have fun, we're not complete strangers, it's always going to be something more than that and I—I really care about Matt." Kelly confessed. Matt's words to her a few days ago about missing out on being with a really great guy were playing on her mind. He was everything she thought she wanted in a man and he really liked her. He was stable and she didn't know what the _hell_ Dylan was. She was normally so good at reading him but she just didn't know what was going on inside his head.

"... right." Dylan said through his teeth. "I should go."

"Dylan-"

"Goodnight Kel." he said before quickly leaving the apartment. He'd been rejected by Kelly before and it was one of the greatest losses he ever had to bear—and he wasn't prepared to hear it again. Not when he came back because he wanted to make amends with her.

* * *

From the moment he walked away from Kelly, things started to spiral for Dylan. It seemed to be a recurring pattern in his life, so he wasn't particularly surprised. He jetted Gina off to Mexico as a front to buy more drugs and Kelly was incredibly annoyed by his actions. She didn't know about the drugs, but the whole Gina thing was just _ridiculous._

_"I have been trying to work out for days why things between us just didn't feel right and now I get it—I've grown up and you haven't."_

Her words ran over and over again in his head as he tried to make sense of it all. How could two people who were so obviously meant to be together, keep getting it _so_ wrong? His desire for Kelly, however, didn't stop him from starting something with Gina. He thought of her as a bed buddy. Something to distract him and numb the pain. The thing he liked most about Gina wasn't how much she wanted him—it was that she wasn't _blonde._ In the three years that Dylan had been gone, he didn't go near a _single_ blonde. It hurt to have even the smallest reminder of what he'd lost 4 years ago.

Gina also didn't do much to stop this little drug habit he'd developed and she also didn't do much when she found a gun sitting in his room. To make matters worse for Dylan, he'd gone to visit Toni's grave and discovered that her father had it moved to an unknown location. He was furious and he wasn't prepared to let Anthony Marchette walk away this time.

_"You can't be doing drugs and leaving guns around the house, especially not when your kids are here all the time, it's incredibly reckless and irresponsible!"_

Gina's protest had fallen on deaf ears and it didn't take much for her to give up. She wished she had protested more however. Dylan left her to watch the kids that evening while he stormed over to the Marchette house to get some answers. When he got there, he found out that Marchette was dead. He'd killed himself over what he did to his daughter. Dylan's luck further ran out when he was busted for trespassing and having a gun and heroin on him.

* * *

The following morning, Kelly was standing in Matt's office explaining to him that Dylan had just left the twins with Gina the previous evening and now was completely unreachable. She was frustrated and she was concerned. What the hell had happened?

Gina soon walked into the office and Kelly immediately pounced on her looking for answers.

"Gina, have you seen Dylan yet? I can't believe he just left the twins with you last night." Kelly said. Gina ignored her questions, having already got the nth degree this morning when she arrived with the twins at the apartment.

"Yeah, that's why I'm here, Matt I need your help. Dylan was arrested last night for trespassing."

"_What? Where?_" Kelly demanded to know.

"The Marchette house."

Kelly furrowed her eyebrows, "But Mr. Marchette is dead."

Gina's head snapped round in disgust, "You knew that and you didn't tell Dylan?"

"I thought he knew-"

"You didn't ask him about it?"

Kelly glared and crossed her arms, "The subject was off limits, the people closest to him knew that and respected that."

Matt looked between the two bickering women, completely confused by what they were talking about "Uh... a little help here?"

Kelly sighed and ran a hand across her forehead, "Antonia Marchette was Dylan's wife, she was killed three years ago, her father was responsible."

"He also moved her grave, did you know that?" Gina said, completely bitter about the whole thing, especially now knowing what Kelly knew.

"I should go to the station." Matt said as he lifted his jacket, "Is there anything else I should know before I go?"

Gina looked between Kelly and Matt, knowing that she was going to have to come clean.

"What? What is it?" Kelly asked desperately.

Gina gritted her teeth. Kelly was really pushing her buttons this morning. Why was she inserting herself into a situation that quite simply didn't involve her?

"It really doesn't have anything to do with you Kelly, so if you could leave us alone for a second that would be _great_." Gina snapped.

Kelly glared, "Are you _kidding_ me right now? He left his kids last night, I need to know why, I need to know if he is in some sort of trouble-" Kelly protested. Truth was, this was about a hell of a lot more than the twins. This was _her Dylan_ they were talking about. No matter what was going on between them, she cared so deeply about him and couldn't bare it if something terrible were to happen to him.

Gina remained silent and Matt realised that she wasn't going to talk with Kelly in the room.

"Kelly..." Matt said quietly as Kelly looked between them before holding up her hands.

_"Fine."_ she said bitterly before leaving the office and going back downstairs.

"How bad is it?"

"He had a gun and when they arrested him they found some heroin."

* * *

The following evening, Matt managed to get Dylan out on bail and they all gathered at Donna's parents' house for a BBQ. Matt thought that it might be better if Dylan went home considering he was going through some major withdrawal right now and didn't look so good, but Dylan thought otherwise. He was determined to break through this—and determined to find Gina who could give him more drugs.

"Dad!" Mollie exclaimed happily as Dylan and Matt walked in. She and Tommy ran and hugged him.

Kelly frowned when she took in Dylan's dishevelled appearance. "Wow, be careful guys, daddy doesn't look so good..." she commented.

"I'm glad to see you two." he said as they pulled back and he ran his hands over their heads.

Tommy looked worried, "Momma's right dad, you don't look so good... are you ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He said, trying to sound as chipper as possible. "Donna, where's the nearest bathroom?"

"Pool house" Donna said as they all watched him quickly walk away.

"Hey, is he sick?" Kelly asked Matt.

Matt nodded, "Yeah a little bit." He certainly was sick, but not in the way Kelly assumed.

"Maybe he should go home, get some rest." Donna suggested.

"He'll be fine." Matt insisted, figuring it was actually a good idea for Dylan to be surrounded by people right about now.

"I don't want the twins seeing him like this, they look scared." Kelly commented as she saw the normally bubbly children were being particularly quiet right now.

Before they could discuss things further, Steve told them to come inside because his segment of Judge Mary was on TV. They all went inside just as Gina arrived. She went over to Dylan and he immediately hugged her before riffling through her pockets and getting out the drugs she brought him. In that moment, Gina realised she'd made a _huge_ mistake. Why the hell was she fuelling this addiction? Did she think it would make him appreciate her more or something? She was _deluded._ She tried to walk away from him, but he tried to stop her and as Donna tried to intervene—he accidentally turned and knocked her into the pool, causing her to smack her head of the edge.

As she lay floating in the pool, Dylan scrambled to one of the sun loungers and lay there, _completely_ out of it. Steve and David soon came outside and dived into the pool to get her.

"Dylan! Dylan! Call 911!" Steve shouted, but he was unresponsive.

Janet came rushing out and saw what was going on before going inside and ringing an ambulance just as Kelly, Matt, Mollie and Tommy came outside.

"Dad? Dad!" Tommy shouted, completely afraid when he saw his father just lying there.

Kelly looked over at Dylan and freaked, "Mollie, Tommy go inside, _now!"_ she demanded as Matt ushered them inside and Kelly went over to Dylan. She grabbed his face and tried to get him to focus.

_"Dylan? Dylan?"_ he said as she tried to shake him awake, finally cluing in to this supposed illness he had. Kelly's head shot round to Matt in anger. "He's_ completely_ strung out." she said through her teeth as she pushed past him to check on Donna while Noah performed CPR.

This all felt like one bad dream.

* * *

_"You should have told me."_ Kelly said through her teeth as she stood in the kitchen of her apartment with Matt the following morning. Thankfully, Donna was going to be ok, but she wasn't sure she could say the same thing about Matt or Dylan right now.

"It wasn't mine to tell." Matt defended. No matter who Dylan was to Kelly, he was Matt's client and he had to remain silent.

"It was_ mine_ to _know_! If I knew he was like this, I would_ never_ have let the twins near him! He is a_ complete_ danger to them; how irresponsible can you get to think that this isn't something I needed to know?!" she shouted.

Matt looked at Kelly in disbelief, "I'm irresponsible?" he questioned. He definitely was not the person she should be mad at right now.

"This is about _you_ right now,_ not_ Dylan. My best friend almost died and you did_ nothing_ to stop him!"

"I tried to get him to stop-"

"Well it didn't work! If you had have told me or David-"

"Nothing would have happened." he said sternly. No matter how influential Kelly or David were in Dylan's life, they couldn't have stopped him from using. He needed to come to that realisation himself. He needed professional help.

"You don't know that."

"Yes. I do. This is beside the point because I would never have told you, it was client attorney privilege."

_"Privilege?_ He is—is one of the most important people in my life. He is my friend and my family and the father of my children—he needs my help."

Matt remained silent. He realised he was fighting a losing battle with Kelly on this one. Nothing he said was going to make her any less mad. He knew that this wasn't entirely about him though. She was mad at herself too. Kelly hadn't told him much about her past with Dylan, but he'd heard bits and pieces from other people. Before they were together, they were the best of friends and it had been that way since they were 5 years old. They were each other's confidant, support system—_everything_ and right now, Kelly felt like they had lost that. She hadn't really been anything to him over the past three years. She was simply the one that got away and she wasn't there to help him now because they didn't talk like they used to. They had briefly fallen into hold habits when he returned, but they soon realised it was going to take more than a few kisses to fix what was broken between them, even on a friendship level.

* * *

After trying to get through to Dylan and get him into a rehab facility, Gina was left to watch over him until they could make the arrangements, much to Kelly's frustration. Part of her blamed Gina for this whole thing, despite how unfair she knew that was. She figured it was probably a little bit of jealousy on her part that Dylan had turned to Gina when she rejected him.

Gina managed to fail in her mission when she woke up the next morning and found that Dylan had taken off. Kelly naturally freaked at Gina for not watching him like a hawk, but Gina was quick to point out that it wasn't her fault that he left and it wasn't her fault that he was a junkie. While she was worried sick about Dylan, she was also worried about Mollie and Tommy. They had been asking for him any chance they could get and Kelly was running out of excuses. How could she shield them from all of this? They were only 4 years old, they shouldn't know any of this, but they also couldn't believe that Dylan had just abandoned them. Kelly knew he wouldn't do that. He had an addiction and that addiction was overriding his basic instincts and desires to be the best father he could be. She knew he would never intentionally let them down, but right now, the drugs were stronger than his willpower.

Everyone soon split up and went looking for Dylan. Kelly and Matt went to the first place that Kelly thought of. The one place they always went when life got too hard- Paradise Cove.

"Dylan and I used to come down here all the time. Dylan would surf, I would soak up the sun." Kelly explained as she climbed over the rocks. A part of her hated bringing Matt here. It was her place with Dylan, she didn't want to share that with anyone else, but she knew she needed his help.

"It's hard to imagine Dylan surfing. It just seems a little laid back for him." Matt explained with a shrug.

Kelly chuckled, "No, it's not laid back, that's the cliché, but it's really pretty intense. Anyway, when we were 14, we made a pact. If either one of us were feeling overwhelmed or freaked out about life, we would come here. You'd be amazed the number of times we found each other here." she said softly.

"... and here's me thinking this was just a beach." Matt replied, not particularly enjoying hearing how Dylan and Kelly connected as teenagers.

"I'm sure there's places like this where you grew up." Kelly replied, not doubting that for a second.

Matt nodded, "Now that I know what it feels like to visit one of yours, remind me to never take you to one of mine."

"I didn't bring you here to hurt you."

"I'm not... but I'm beginning to feel like I've walked into an episode of Joanie Loves Chachi." he confessed. He managed to more or less push the thought of Dylan and Kelly's love to the back of his mind, but the more he heard, the more he began to understand this connection they had.

"That's not fair." He couldn't blame her for her past, just like she couldn't erase it—not that she wanted to.

"And neither is blaming me for what happened. Or Gina. You know how I got Dylan a continuance today? I _lied._ I told the judge that Dylan McKay was a responsible person and not the _ass_ that I know he is. So I can easily defend what I did, I can easily defend what Gina did, but the one person I cannot defend here is Dylan and neither should you."

"Part of that pact we made when we were 14... was that no matter what, we'd always stick up for each other. We'd always be in each other's corner no matter how stupid the other person was being. We'd always be there for each other." Kelly confessed. "And no matter what he does to himself or what he does to me or anyone else—I know he would never intentionally hurt his children. He's the only dad they're going to have so I'm never going to leave his corner and I will _always_ fight to keep him a stable part of their lives."

Matt nodded his head, realising for the second time in the past few days that he was fighting another losing battle with Kelly. He never would have guessed that some pact two kids made would stand the test of time—especially after everything they had supposedly been through.

"He's not here." Matt said, "We should go."

Kelly remained standing as she watched Matt walk away. Little did they know, Dylan was hiding behind some rocks, listening to everything they were saying. He managed to avoid them, not prepared to get the help they were offering, but the more he thought about what Kelly said up there, the more he realised he would always need her. He managed to make his way to their apartment before collapsing outside the door. When Kelly and Matt found him that night, they immediately rushed him to the hospital.

Kelly felt like she had gone back in time to the first time he ended up in a coma. She had sat by his bed all day waiting for him to wake up. She'd lost count the number of times she'd called him a bastard and told him that she hated him when he lay there. She couldn't believe that he had done this to himself. But this time, she understood why he did this. He was in a lot of pain and he couldn't work out how to let a little bit of happiness into his life. Now, she wasn't going to sit and call him a bastard. She was going to get him better.

She sat alone in the hospital waiting room after Donna, David and Matt had left just as Gina came charging in.

_"Hey._ Thanks for calling, I was up all night worrying." Gina said sarcastically as she threw her stuff down and Kelly rolled her eyes.

"I've been a little preoccupied saving Dylan's life Gina."

"Oh yeah, you're such a _saint,_ aren't you? It's really nice of you to take care of other people's boyfriends. I suppose you think because you had his children you're his guardian angel?" Gina spat.

"He showed up on _my_ doorstep asking for _me_ Gina, what was I supposed to do? Leave him there and wait around for you to find him instead? _Grow up."_

"So he was asking for you, do you think that makes him your responsibility and no one else's?"

_"Listen._ Dylan has been one of the most important people in my life since I was 5 years old. That's almost 20 years being each other's rock and _nothing_ is going to change that so you may as well accept it-"

"Oh great, are you going to sit there and give me a little history lesson now? You may have this sordid past, which I quite frankly couldn't care less about, but I am the one in Dylan's life now—so _you_ may as well just accept that." Gina shot back.

* * *

Later that evening, Kelly was sitting in Dylan's room when the machines all around her started beeping. There seemed to be a problem with his heart and the doctors pushed her out of the room in order to save him without distraction. Kelly felt like her whole being had been split in two and she didn't know what to do. She felt herself panicking. What would she do if she lost him? She'd just gotten him back. How would she tell Mollie and Tommy?

A million thoughts ran through her head just as Matt rounded the corner. He was quick to comfort her, seeing how distressed she was. He also told her that he'd managed to get Dylan out of having to do any jail time. Just probation and community service. A few moments later, the doctor came out and told them that Dylan was fine. They had to shock his heart back into a normal rhythm, but everything was looking normal now and he encouraged them to go home and get some rest.

"You should get home to the twins, they're probably looking for you." Matt suggested. She had been away from them for almost two days, they didn't need to think two parents had abandoned them.

"No, I just spoke to Donna, they're fast asleep, I'm going to stay." she said as Matt nodded his head before leaving himself, wondering what Kelly thought she was fighting for.

Kelly stayed until the morning and even managed to have a heart to heart with Gina—which ended with Kelly apologising for blaming her for Dylan's problems.

"Excuse me ladies?" the doctor said as he walked over to them. "Dylan's awake, so you can go see him. He is asking for a Tommy and a Mollie however." he said before walking away.

Kelly smiled softly, somehow finding it comforting that they were the first thing he thought of when he woke up.

"You should go talk to him." Gina said, albeit a little reluctantly.

"What?"

"You've been waiting here all night... you should go say what you need to say. I can wait." Gina said as Kelly nodded her head and slowly walked towards the door.

She stood in the doorway and watched as he lay there with his eyes closed. It didn't take long for him to realise she was standing there, however.

"Hi Kel."

"You're a world class _idiot_." she said quietly.

Dylan chuckled, "You've definitely called me that before..." he recalled, the moment she was furious with him for surfing during a storm in junior year springing to mind.

Kelly walked in and sat on the edge of his bed. "It is nice to see you back from the dead though..."

"Hate to break it to you Kel, but you don't look so good yourself..." he teased as Kelly playfully rolled her eyes.

"Well that was because I was up all night worrying about your sorry ass."

Dylan smiled at their back and forth. It felt just like old times and although they weren't exactly being nice to one another, it was the most comforting thing to him right now.

"You know..." Dylan began to confess as Kelly held on to his hand. "Sometimes the things you think matter in life, really don't and the things that you take for granted like your friends and your family..."

"We're all still here."

"Even when I've given you every reason not to be." Dylan replied immediately. "I _royally_ screwed up. I wasted three years trying to forget when what I really should have been doing was facing my demons and growing up." He looked back on the last three years and didn't see anything monumental. He had a vast array of experiences across Europe, he spent time on Hawiian beaches with Mollie and Tommy, he wallowed in self pity and had Brenda pull him out of it... but he can't say that anything changed.

While Kelly didn't disagree with him, the reality was that this had happened and there was an important lesson in it that could help Dylan start over. "I know this is probably going to sound completely insane... but I think you needed this screw up. You needed to come back here and face your demons and sure this maybe wasn't the wisest way to go about it... but _you're still here._ You have so much in your life to be thankful for. So don't forget any of this Dylan. Don't give up either. Because we're not going to give up on you." she said with certainty. "Don't think of the last three years as a waste Dylan. They were just a part of your journey back to yourself." Kelly knew that if Dylan hadn't have left, he really would have gone into self-destruct mode. He would have gone to a place that he couldn't come back from.

"You truly are my guardian angel." Dylan said quietly. As Kelly smiled softly. She remembered back in high school he had called her that countless times. It was almost refreshing to hear it now.

"Well this guardian angel has to get home to her two _little_ angels. The doctor said you were asking for them." she said as she stood up.

"Yeah, as much as I want to see them... I don't really want to see me like this." Dylan confessed. He didn't want to freak them out. Not when they were so little.

Kelly nodded, "Ok. You can see them when you get out. Get some sleep." she said as she kissed his cheek lightly, before leaving the room.

* * *

Kelly made her way home and smiled when she saw Mollie and Tommy sitting at the table colouring in. She quietly let the babysitter Donna had called go before going over to them.

"Those are some pretty pictures twinnies." she commented as their heads shot round and smiles graced their faces.

"Momma!" they said happily as they got off their chairs and hugged her.

"Momma, where have you been? We've barely seen you the past few days." Mollie observed.

"I know babies, come here." she said as they sat on the couch and snuggled into Kelly's sides. "I haven't been here because I was away helping your dad."

Tommy frowned, "is he still sick?"

"Yeah baby, he's still a little sick."

"Maybe we could go and see him? He always says one smile from us warms his heart." Mollie said with a little giggle.

Kelly smiled at her, "it definitely does but I don't think we'll be able to see him right now. Dad doesn't want you to be sad when you see him unwell and he wants to be able to have fun with you and play with you which he can't really do right now." she explained.

"Is he going to get better?" Mollie asked quietly.

"He sure is." Kelly said with as much optimism in her voice as she could muster. "And the moment he feels better, I know he will come straight to see you two because he loves you _so_ much and_ I_ love you so much" she said as she kissed them and pulled them round for a hug.

It felt so good to have them in her arms and it felt so good knowing that Dylan had come out the other side, ready to start fresh in the place he called home with his family and friends. She had a good feeling about the future for the first time in a long time.


	44. Just to Feel Alive

_So, The Parent Trap is one of my all time favourite movies, so I took a little bit of inspiration from it for this chapter- I think we're due something a little lighter and some cute Kelly-Dylan-Mollie-Tommy bonding time._

_At the minute, I'm planning on only taking this story up to season 10. I've been toying with doing a few extra chapters at the end just to give a glimpse into what happened next etc. but I'm not sure I'll have the time to write them... in an ideal world, I would love to, so we'll see what happens!_

_Hope you enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

Chapter Forty-Four- Just to Feel Alive

Just when Kelly thought things couldn't get much worse for her, Matt revealed that he had a _wife_. Her name was Lauren and she was a schizophrenic and she had been living in a psychiatric hospital in New York while he was in LA. Kelly was heartbroken. She felt like she had this great guy who was stable and kind and loving and secure and now it was being ripped away from her. One thing Kelly definitely didn't want to do, however, was talk about it. Any time anybody tried to bring it up, she immediately changed the subject and she had become an expert at avoiding Matt. She simply focused on the store and the kids and that was enough for her.

Much like Kelly, Dylan was also trying to keep his focus. He was on the mend and had completed his community service with no issues. He too had been focusing on the kids and that worked for him—most of the time. Having Gina as a distraction didn't hurt either. He was also more than aware of Kelly's situation. He figured she too needed a good distraction and that now was as good a time as any to make good on a promise he made the twins not too long ago.

"Mom, mom, mom!" Tommy exclaimed as he came running through the front door of the apartment with Mollie and Dylan behind him.

"Tommy, Tommy, Tommy! What's going on?" Kelly asked with a little laugh as Tommy sat up on one of the island stools.

"Dad just had the _best_ idea."

Kelly raised an eyebrow and looked at Dylan, "Oh really? And what would that be?"

"Camping at Yosemite Valley!" Mollie told her excitedly.

"Camping... wow." she said as Dylan smirked at her.

"As an early birthday present for us." Tommy reasoned.

"Or a late one depending on how you look at it..." Mollie added, seeing as their birthday was another 5 months away.

"And the three us agreed that the only way we could go and have the maximum amount of fun is if you came with us." Dylan piped in.

Kelly grimaced, "I don't know, our last camping experience at Yosemite didn't end so well, did it Dylan?"

Dylan chuckled remembering back to their trip in junior year. It certainly wasn't the easiest considering Dylan fell into old habits, they ended up sleeping in a damp shack and Brandon almost fell off a cliff. He and Kelly used to go there all the time in freshman and sophomore year, but after that particular trip, they hadn't been so keen to go back. They did think it was a pity, however. They had a lot of good memories from there.

"This time will be different because we checked the weather forecast and we won't be walking near unstable cliff edges." Dylan assured her. Plus, there was the fact that he was well and truly sober.

"Come on mom, we never do anything fun together, just the four of us!" Tommy pleaded as he pulled on her arm.

"Yeah, come on Kel." Dylan joined in as Kelly gave him a disapproving look. "It's quality family time. Plus—I think you could use the distraction." he said with a knowing eyebrow raised.

She looked down at the twins who had such hopeful looks on their faces and sighed. How could she say no to those baby blues that were staring up at her?

"... what time are we leaving?" she conceded as their smiles got wider.

"That is what I like to hear. 8am Friday morning." Dylan told her as she nodded her head in agreement. She figured they were due some fun right now and she knew that Dylan would do anything he could to make her smile again. What could possibly go wrong?

* * *

Friday soon rolled around and Dylan stood in his kitchen packing up his rucksack while Kelly got the twins ready in the bedroom. There was a knock at the front door and Dylan answered, surprised to see Gina here so early.

"Hey, you're here early." he said as she slipped past him and into the house.

"Couldn't sleep—going somewhere?" she asked when she saw his rucksack.

"Camping."

Gina smiled, "Oh, guy's trip?"

"Uh, no, not exactly-"

"Dylan did you find the—oh. Hi." Kelly said awkwardly as she came into the room.

_"Hi._" Gina said through her teeth. "What is this?" she asked as she put her hands on her hips. Ever since Dylan's hospital stint, Gina had been struggling with the fact that Kelly was a hugely important part of Dylan's life- and that she always would be. She really wasn't very good at hiding her jealousy which often made things very uncomfortable for those around her.

Dylan awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, "I promised the twins I'd take them camping and they wanted Kelly to come too so we're making a family trip of it." he explained. He chose to leave out the fact that it was actually _his_ suggestion that Kelly came and that he wanted her there just as much as the twins did.

"How _sweet._" she said bitterly. To make matters worse, Mollie and Tommy couldn't _stand_ Gina. They found her rude and disruptive and an annoying roommate and Gina just didn't really do kids. "One tent?"

"One family sized tent." Dylan made clear. He really didn't need Gina kicking off over nothing.

"How_ cosy."_

Kelly rolled her eyes, "Gina I can assure you there will be no funny business in a tent with two little children in between us."

"Oh _great,_ thanks for the assurance." Gina shot back with an eye roll. Her words really meant nothing.

"Come on, don't be like that..." Dylan said as he reached out for Gina but she pulled away from him immediately.

Kelly then had an idea. She figured it was a little sneaky and would probably do more harm than good, but she had to at least ask...

"Gina... you should come with us." Kelly said.

Gina and Dylan both raised their eyebrows, "Excuse me?"

"I think it would be the perfect way for you to get to know the twins better. Now that you seem to be a stable part of Dylan's life." she said with a forced smile.

Gina folded her arms, "I think I know the twins well enough."

"Oh, how well can you really know two little kids? They're always surprising you... and that way you wouldn't feel any concern about Dylan and I." Kelly said, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible.

_"Kel._" Dylan said deeply. He wasn't buying any of this nice girl act for one second. He knew there was nothing kind or inclusive about it. He knew her better than that. She was asking Gina to come knowing that she'd have a miserable time.

"... I guess it could be fun" Gina said with a shrug. She was desperate to prove that she could fit into their world with no bother whatsoever.

Kelly smiled, "That's the spirit!"

"We're ready!" Tommy announced as he and Mollie came into the room.

"Hey guys, Gina is coming with us!" Kelly said, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible.

_"What?_ That was _not_ the plan." Mollie said as she and Tommy glared at Gina.

"Well plans change sweetie. Maybe you guys can get to know each other a little better." Kelly encouraged.

Mollie folded her arms, "_We know enough." _she said, repeating Gina's words.

_"Mollie, _be _nice._" Dylan warned with raised eyebrows as Mollie rolled her eyes and stomped back into the bedroom.

"I'll go home and pack" Gina said as she left the house.

"She's going to make us late." Tommy whined. All the twins had wanted was a fun weekend away with their parents—but that was _clearly_ too much to ask.

"We're in no rush." Dylan reminded him as Tommy took his turn to stomp back into the bedroom. Dylan stepped closer towards Kelly. "Kel... what are you doing?" he asked quietly, wondering what her game was.

Kelly shrugged, "Just being nice. If she's your girlfriend then she should be invited on these family outings."

"Gina's not a camper."

"She might surprise you." Kelly said as she looked at him with a smile and Dylan held his hands up, realising that whatever would be, would most certainly be.

* * *

A few hours later, the 5 of them were walking through Yosemite on their way to the campsite. While Mollie and Tommy thrived in the outdoors as they jumped over rocks and into puddles, Gina was_ miserable_. She forgot how much she hated hiking, even if it wasn't anything particularly strenuous.

_"Ugh_, I swear I thought I was in good shape. What is _wrong_ with me?" Gina asked as she dragged behind.

"Maybe it's just the altitude." Kelly suggested.

"Or the _company._.." Gina grumbled as Kelly and Dylan walked ahead.

Gina took the opportunity to sit down on a near by rock and get some water. As she took her bag off, they twins immediately looked at each other and put some of their well thought out plans into action. They gathered whatever rocks, branches and whatever else was lying in their path and began filling Gina's bag with them.

A short distance ahead, Kelly and Dylan walked at a steady pace. They had been so wrapped up in talking about anything and everything with each other that they didn't even notice what the twins were doing. It just felt so nice to have some normal family time together. It felt nice to escape from the chaos, even though they knew it was temporary.

"You know, I'm glad we did this." Kelly said softly as Dylan smiled down at her.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, you were right. I needed the distraction." Kelly conceded. She could put on a good show of being fine, but Dylan knew her better than that, and he always knew the right ways to cheer her up.

"Well, I have always been good at distracting you..." he teased as he nudged her arm and Kelly laughed.

"Maybe _too_ good..."

Meanwhile, the twins were about to walk away from Gina when she called them back. "_Hey,_ hand me my Evian" she demanded as she held out her hand.

Tommy lifted the bottle and raised an eyebrow, "Did you forget the magic word?"

_"Now."_

"Ok,_ Ursula._.." Tommy grumbled as Mollie immediately giggled.

Gina's head snapped round and she glared, _"What_ did you just call me?"

While Gina was distracted, Mollie lifted a little lizard she found on the ground and put it on her bottle.

_"Gina._ That is your name, right?" Tommy said as she handed Gina the bottle.

Gina snatched it from him and tipped it up. Her eyes widened when she saw the lizard on her bottle and she immediately screamed and threw it down. Kelly and Dylan jumped at the screams and rushed back.

"What happened?" Dylan asked.

"This little lizard got on her Evian bottle!" Mollie said as she lifted the lizard and laughed. "Isn't he cute daddy?"

Dylan smirked, "Very cute. He won't hurt you Gina."

_"Whatever."_

"Can we keep him?" Tommy asked.

"I don't think so Tommy, come on Mollie, put him down." Kelly told them.

"Ok..." Mollie grumbled as Kelly and Dylan turned back around. Mollie paused before putting it on the floor. Kelly didn't specify _where_ she had to put it down... right? Mollie saw the opportunity and took it, delicately placing the lizard in Gina's hair as Tommy held back his laughter.

"Need some help Gina?" Tommy asked sweetly.

"Like you two would be able to help me..." Gina grumbled as she stood up. "Why would you even _want t_o help me?" she wasn't exactly oblivious to how the twins felt about her.

"Because we're nice kids." Mollie said with a shrug.

"Nice kids my _ass_... you would do anything to see the back of me."

"You said it..." Mollie mumbled back.

"Well, I can assure you that one more little trick from you and I will make your lives _miserable."_

Mollie and Tommy furrowed their eyebrows simultaneously, "Did you just threaten two _4 year olds?_" Mollie asked. They may have been smart and tall for their age, but they were still just_ four._

"Mollie, give her a little credit... we're _almost_ five." Tommy said before he and Mollie walked on. "By the way, I think there's something on your head." they said before they started giggling.

Gina frowned and felt her way up her hair, causing the lizard to move down her face as she screamed, before it fell into her mouth. Dylan and Kelly rushed back yet again to see what all the commotion was about just as Gina spat out the lizard.

"What happened this time?" Dylan asked as he scratched his head and Gina gasped.

"Ask... _them._" she said pointing to the twins.

Mollie and Tommy smiled up at their parents, "What did we do?" Mollie asked.

"We were behind you the whole time." Tommy insisted.

"Sure you were..." Kelly said, not even remotely surprised that they had been messing with Gina. "Come on monsters." she said as she put her hands on their shoulders and guided them away from Gina before they caused any more trouble.

* * *

A short while later, they had reached the edge of the lake and Tommy and Mollie immediately dropped their bags.

"This is _so_ cool! Dad, can we jump in?" Tommy asked hopefully.

"Yeah, this part's deep enough." Dylan said as he looked over the edge.

"Gina, would you like to join us?" Mollie asked sweetly as they stripped down into their swim wear.

"Oh, I'm fine-"

_SPLASH._

Tommy 'accidentally' knocked Gina into the water.

"_Oops..._" she said with a grimace.

Dylan and Kelly tried not to laugh at the situation, but after all of Gina's mishaps today—they had to admit that this was funny as _hell_. Mollie wasn't so subtle with her laughter as she was practically rolling on the floor, her giggled radiating through the air.

"Are you _kidding_ me?!" Gina exclaimed as she stumbled out of the water. "You little _brat-_"

Kelly immediately jumped in, "Hey, that's not fair-"

"He pushed me into the water on purpose!"

"Did not!" Tommy defended.

"Accident or not, Tommy you should apologise..." Kelly insisted, realising she should probably try and diffuse the situation than add fire to it.

"Sorry Gina." Tommy grumbled.

"Oh, I'm _sure_ you are." Gina replied before stomping away.

The four Taylor-McKays stood in silence for a moment before Kelly spoke up.

"So... swimming anyone?"

* * *

That night, Kelly and Dylan sat by the campfire while Mollie and Tommy ran around the site playing away.

"I can't believe Gina went to bed." Kelly commented. As soon as they had eaten, she had made a quick dash for the tent, not wanting to be party to any other tricks the twins had up their sleeve.

"She hasn't been sleeping well lately." Dylan lied, not wanting to draw any more attention the fact that the trip had been a bit of a nightmare for her.

"Well I don't think she'll be sleeping any better tonight..."

"Yeah, not if those two have anything to say about it..." Dylan said with a low chuckle. "Still glad you came?"

"Yeah, I am." she said with a nod. "It's been a really sucky few days... he said that he loved me." she blurted out about Matt. "The first time he said it, he said that he loved me _and_ Lauren in the same sentence." she confessed. Until now, she really hadn't felt comfortable talking about it, but it appeared that old habits die hard. Something about Dylan had always made her feel at ease and it was easy to open up.

"Kel, the guy loses his wife and he keeps going. He puts himself through law school thinking about her everyday. Meets you... _lives_." He couldn't quite believe that he was standing here defending Matt and defending what he had with Kelly, but he knew_ exactly_ what it felt like. He knew exactly what it felt like to be so lost, but to have Kelly Taylor make him feel alive again. It was a feeling he would never forget or take for granted ever again.

"You did it." she reminded him. He made it through _many_ awful days.

"I was barely conscious..."

"You're straight now."

"Even my straight is a little crooked." he confessed. While he was doing much better, he still hadn't figured everything out yet. "Do you have any idea how many deals I've made with God?"

Kelly scoffed lightly, "Probably about as many as you made when the twins were born." She remembered so clearly how scared Dylan was. She couldn't remember a time when he had ever been that way again.

Dylan nodded and smirked, "I think I may have made even more then and I'm glad I did. Look at those two." he said as the looked up and watched as they ran around and giggled about something.

Kelly smiled brightly, "They are pure _magic_... except when they're filling Gina's back pack with rocks and pushing her into lakes..."

Dylan chuckled, "Well, when they were born, you did say they had a little hint of the devil in their eyes."

"And that's all you." she said, repeating her own words back to him. "You know, we should do this more often."

"Camp?"

"Not necessarily camp but spend more time together as a family." she said as they turned to look at each other. "The smiles on their faces are always brighter when we do."

"You got yourself a deal Taylor- _Halt._" Dylan suddenly said as the twins stopped dead in their tracks behind their parents.

Dylan and Kelly turned around and saw the twins standing with their hands clasped around something and their eyes wide.

"I thought only _moms_ had eyes on the back of their heads." Tommy commented.

"You thought wrong... what are you doing?" Dylan asked. They really weren't being as stealth as they thought.

"Going to bed?" Mollie tried, figuring her parents definitely wouldn't buy it.

"Hm... _try again._" Kelly said with a click of her tongue.

"We found some spiders and were going to make a home for them." Tommy told them.

Dylan furrowed his eyebrows, "Where exactly where you going to make this home?"

"... Gina's bed." Mollie said quietly as Kelly held back her laughter and Dylan smirked involuntarily. They really did have a hint of the devil in them.

"Nice try twinnies, put the spiders down... _over there_." Dylan made sure to add, considering the last time they asked them to put something down, they took a certain liberty in the interpretation.

They did as they were told and ran around the log and sat on their parent's laps.

"Are you having a good time?" Kelly asked as she hugged Mollie close to her chest.

"The best!"

"We're really glad you're both here." Tommy said quietly.

"So are we." Dylan said as he rested his cheek against Tommy's head delicately. It was little moments like this that made him so thankful and grateful for all that he had.

* * *

The following day, the 5 of them made the short trip back to the car and Gina managed to avoid anymore tricks being played on her as Dylan and Kelly watched the twins like hawks. While it had been funny yesterday, they were afraid that they'd take it a step too far and someone would get hurt or Gina would lose her mind.

When they arrived back to the car, Kelly took Mollie and Tommy to the bathroom before they left while Gina sulked and Dylan packed up the car.

"So, what do you think of camping?" he asked, almost immediately regretting his question because he already knew the answer.

"I think I never want to do it ever again and I've just found another thing to add to my Kelly hit list." Gina remarked as she folded her arms and lent against the car.

"How is this Kelly's fault?"

"She tricked me into coming and you know it." Gina said with an eye roll. He could play dumb all he wanted but Gina wasn't buying it. "Like mother like son and daughter."

Dylan sighed. Sure, the twins had been cheeky on their trip, but they were just messing around. He didn't see the point in making a big deal out of it. "It was all harmless fun-"

"No, I think it was just your children showing their disdain for daddy's girlfriend."

Dylan sighed, "They're 4 years old." She really couldn't believe they had some evil plan—right?

"They're _annoyingly_ smart for their age." Dylan couldn't help but smile proudly at that fact. They _were_ incredibly smart for their age and it made him beam when people around them noticed it.

"Maybe if you're nice to them, they'll be nice back." Dylan suggested. She was the adult after all, she should be the one setting the example.

"They'll be nice to me when hell freezes over." Gina shot as Kelly walked over with the twins.

"Gina, Mollie and Tommy have something they would like to say to you." Kelly said as she nudged her kids slightly.

"Gina, we're sorry you fell victim to our pranks." Tommy said.

"We were just having a bit of fun, but we should have stopped when we realised you didn't have a sense of humour—I mean, when you didn't find them funny." Mollie quickly corrected as Dylan and Kelly once again tried to hold in their laughter. They knew it wasn't the best parenting finding their kids snarky and rude behaviour funny, but sometimes they just couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh gee thanks, I can tell that was really from the heart." Gina said with an eye roll.

"Tommy. Mollie." Kelly warned as she raised her eyebrow at them, wanting them to apologise properly.

They both sighed and looked at their feet, "We really are sorry Gina."

"Yeah, we're sorry."

"... thanks." Gina simply said.

"Well, I'm glad we got that settled. Let's hit the road, who wants control of the radio?"

_"Me!"_ Tommy and Mollie exclaimed at the same time as they began to fight over who could be in charge.

"This is going to be along 5 hours." Dylan said with a sigh, regretting his question.

"Yeah..."


	45. What Fireworks?

_I'm so glad that you all love the twins and their attitude! They'll hopefully bring a little bit of a lighter tone to the story in the midst of all the drama._

_I have a few ideas about extending this story by one or two chapters, so I will do my very best to get it done for you all! I think we deserve a little glimpse into the future..._

_Tish- I really love your thoughts on swinging from chandeliers being tiring when you don't trust the person to catch you. So so true and such a good metaphor! _

_For now, it's time for another little trip to Mexico... enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Forty-Five- What Fireworks?

After their camping trip, Kelly decided that she wanted to fight for Matt, but it was too late. He had decided to focus on his marriage with Lauren and she was staying in LA for the time being. Kelly was crushed and couldn't quite believe that something so good was being ripped away from her. She hoped that it was something that would become easier with time, but for now she was keen to avoid them, which often meant avoiding all her friends.

Dylan, however, wasn't going to stand for that. He didn't want her to feel like she was alone while Matt and Lauren took over her friendship group. So, every morning, Dylan called around to the apartment and he and Kelly got a coffee and walked the twins to pre-k. He just wanted her to have the opportunity to talk and just be normal with her family.

As Mollie skipped ahead of them, Tommy sat on Dylan's shoulder's playing with a few of his toy cars, completely oblivious to his mother's plight.

"It's not that I don't want them to be happy, I just don't want a front row seat to it." Kelly explained as they strolled along.

"You can't obsess over this Kel, it's not worth the energy."

"Well what should I do instead? Sleep, work, eat, parent, _focus_?"

Dylan chuckled, "I don't know, focus has never really been my strong point..." Dylan suddenly stopped beside a blue car that was up for sale. "Aw man. Tommy, look at this car... '59 T-Bird"

"It's so cool..." Tommy said with wide eyes.

Dylan lifted him off his shoulders and held him in his arms. "My uncle Hank used to drive one of these. Every morning he'd come rolling up and I'd be already out there, early, before school. This car got me up in the morning." he recalled.

"What gets you up now?" Kelly asked.

"These two monsters." Dylan said as he scooped Mollie up into his other arm, causing her to giggle and walked on with them, causing Kelly to smile for what felt like the first time in a long time.

Kelly looked back at the car and jotted the phone number that was attached to it down. The car needed some work, but maybe this was something Dylan could do to focus himself.

* * *

That night, Kelly and the twins were sitting on Dylan and David's front porch eating ice cream and playing a game of Battleships. Kelly hated that it had taken the disintegration of her relationship for them to spend time together as a family, but she was eternally glad that they were.

"What are we thinking Mollie Moo?" Kelly asked her daughter as she pondered their next move against Dylan and Tommy.

"A3." she said with a deep stare as the boys sighed.

"That was a hit..." Dylan said as Mollie giggled happily. "I like your new hair Mols."

Mollie glared straight at Tommy. "_I don't_." While they were in the playground today, one of Tommy's friends had smuggled him some gum and he somehow managed to get it caught in Mollie's hair, resulting in Kelly having to take her to the salon to get it cut. Mollie was devastated. Her hair was still long and beautiful but it was noticeably shorter.

"Why not?" Dylan queried. "You look prettier than ever."

"Because it was so long and pretty and then Tommy was _stupid_ and got gum in it!" Mollie shouted angrily at her brother.

"I didn't mean to!" Tommy defended.

"Ok, let's not get into a fight over it." Kelly said in a warning tone as they both became silent. "Your dad is right Mollie, you look simply beautiful and your hair will grow. You know, your dad once got gum stuck in my hair when we were in the 3rd grade." Kelly recalled.

Dylan chuckled, "Yeah, Mr. Bobfish benched me for a week."

"Should have been more like a _month_. He ruined my hair right before our yearbook pictures." Kelly said with a playful glare.

"Mom, can we get some more ice cream?" Mollie asked sweetly.

"I think you've had enough ice cream for tonight."

"_Please_ mom!" Mollie begged before turning to Dylan with doe eyes and a sweet smile, "Daddy?"

Normally, it didn't take much for Dylan to give in to his daughter, but he didn't really want to get on the wrong side of Kelly tonight.

"No more ice cream but there are some fresh berries in the fridge." he told them.

"..._ fine_. Come on Tommy" Mollie said as they jumped off their seats and went inside.

"You know, nothing ever seemed to bother you..." Kelly commented after a few moments of silence between the two. "We would be playing on the playground and then you would just stop and I could never tell if you were happy or if you were sad." she recalled. Even at 7 years old, Dylan was a bit of an enigma. Despite being a bubbly child herself, she always found herself drawn to Dylan, no matter how aloof he was being.

Dylan shrugged, "I just didn't care."

Kelly scoffed, "An existentialist at 8... A2."

Dylan raised his eyebrow, "... you sank our destroyer."

"You'll get over it. You always do." She commented. No matter how destructive the process of moving on was, however, Dylan always managed to do it.

"Doubtful." He replied, knowing they were no longer talking about battleships. "Sometimes I feel like I'm going in slow motion and the world is going in full speed, so I just reach out and grab for something—_anything_. Europe, heroin, Gina. It doesn't matter what I grab, I still end up lost and wishing I was here with the three of you."

Kelly gulped at Dylan's confession. She hated seeing him so lost, but she felt this was the right place for him to be in order to find direction.

"Focus. That's what we need." Kelly determined.

"I'm not very good at it."

"Well now you have that '59 T-Bird to work on."

"It's a start" Dylan said with a shrug, though he was incredibly grateful that Kelly did something so kind.

"And you have two little kids who could also be your target." she reminded him.

"Yeah I do... I reckon I struggle to focus on the good things in life because I can't move on. I have an addictive personality." Dylan self analysed. He had always struggled with letting go and he figured that was where a lot of his problems may have stemmed from.

"You seem to be moving forward ok to me." Kelly observed. He'd beaten his drug addiction and he was now taking everyday as it came and enjoying his time with his family.

Dylan shrugged, "Maybe in some ways... but there are two things in my life that I've never really been able to get over. The first one being my dad dying."

"What about the second one?" Kelly asked quietly. She had an idea what the answer was, but she wanted to hear him say it.

"Well... she's sitting right across from me."

Kelly smiled softly across the table at Dylan. She knew all too well how difficult it was to move on from each other. She was glad, however, that after his chaotic return to Beverly Hills that they could sit and talk like this, no matter how difficult the topic of conversation was. It was like no time had passed at all. She felt like he was becoming the Dylan she always knew he was and was waiting for him to be. He was confronting his demons and actively searching for something more.

* * *

A few days later, Matt told Kelly that the drugs Lauren was taking for her schizophrenia were killing her and she could no longer get them in the pharmacy. Kelly felt truly terrible about it all. She hated that Matt had just got his wife back and now she was being ripped away from him again. After thinking about it all day, Kelly was suddenly struck with an idea. She rushed round to Dylan's house to discuss it with him.

A few moments after she'd knocked on the door, it flung open to reveal Tommy on the other side.

"Mom, you're not here to pick us up, are you?" Tommy whined.

"Oh it's nice to see you too Tommy." Kelly said with a raised eyebrow and folded her arms.

"It's nice to see you too mom but we did see you this morning..." he reminded her.

"Twice in one day, how _awful_ for you..." she said sarcastically.

"Tommy" Dylan said as he got up off the sofa and walked towards the door. "Did it ever occur to you that mom just wanted to spend some quality time with her three favourite people in the entire world?" he said with a smirk.

Kelly rolled her eyes, "I'll give you two but I'm not sure about the third." she said as Dylan pulled her into the house and closed the door.

"Don't kid yourself Kel, I read your 3rd grade journal, you gushed about me for like 100 pages..." Dylan recalled, also remembering how mad an 8 year old Kelly got when she found him snooping.

Kelly swatted his arm, "I can't _believe_ you read my journal."

Dylan shrugged, "I was just looking for the evidence I needed to prove that you were in love with me." he said with a smirk as Kelly rolled her eyes, "So, what brings you by?"

"Well, Matt told me about the situation with Lauren's medication." Kelly said as she and Dylan sat at the table and Mollie and Tommy continued to play in the living room.

"Yeah, it's pretty terrible."

"Yeah but I uh—I think we could help her." Kelly said.

Dylan froze, "Let me get this straight... you want to help Lauren?"

Kelly quirked an eyebrow, "Is that so hard to believe?"

"I mean... she's Matt's wife..." Dylan said slowly, as if he was stating the obvious, but Kelly needed reminded.

"And she is in a terrible situation that we could fix. I know some contacts in Mexico who could get us the drugs and you have the money to get there." she told him.

Dylan smirked, "Boy am I feeling _used_ right now, I should never have told you about my millions..." he joked. "It's clear you don't want to be friends with me for my mind anymore, it's all about my money..."

"_Funny_."

"You know what's also funny? A couple of months ago, I was the one dragging _you_ to Mexico."

Kelly scoffed, "If I remember correctly, you were dragging _multiple_ women to Mexico..."

Dylan shrugged, "Gina was my second choice after you made it perfectly clear, to me anyway, that Matt was your first."

Kelly sighed, not wanting to get into something with him right now about her choices. She didn't regret her choice, she knew if she gave in to Dylan they would have crashed and burned. "Are you going to help me or not?" she asked instead.

"What about the twinnies? I'm not sure drug smuggling is the best idea for a fun day away with mom and dad..."

"They'll be at pre-k all day, Donna can pick them up and then we'll be back that night, no bother. So... are you in?"

"Sure, but—only if you admit that it's going to be fun." he said as he nudged her knee.

Kelly rolled her eyes, "It is a _mission_ McKay."

"Of course it is, but there's still the opportunity to have fun along the way..." he said with a wink.

"Alright... it has... _possibilities_..." she said awkwardly. She knew that any kind of mission that involved her and Dylan had the potential to be a heck of a lot of fun.

Dylan smirked just as there was a knock at the door. They watched as Mollie took her turn to answer it.

"_Oh_. Hi Gina." she said, disappointed.

"Oh hello Mollie." Gina replied as Dylan appeared behind Mollie and lifted her up. "I was just calling around to see if you wanted to have dinner, but you have the twins so..."

"Yeah, now's not really a good time..." he said as he briefly glanced into the kitchen.

Gina eyed him curiously before pushing the door open further and spotting Kelly sitting there. "and you have Kelly too..."

"Hi. Dylan and I are going to Mexico" Kelly announced, a little ashamed that she was trying to push Gina's buttons.

"To buy drugs for Lauren." Dylan made clear as Mollie continued to glare at Gina from her father's arms.

"Mexico? Well, that sounds familiar..." Gina commented.

"But we could still do dinner, I was just about to make my famous pasta." Dylan said as Mollie smiled.

"It's the best pasta in the world Gina" Mollie bragged on Dylan's behalf.

"Mollie McKay you are going to inflate my ego" he joked as Mollie laughed and they gave each other an eskimo kiss. "What do you say?" he said turning back around to Gina.

"No, you guys should have a nice family meal. I just lost my appetite." she said bitterly before quickly leaving the house.

"And you think _Mollie and I_ have an attitude problem..." Tommy grumbled from the sofa as Dylan sighed deeply. What would it take for them all to get along?

* * *

The following day, Kelly sat in the motel she and Dylan had parked at for the night. After driving down to Mexico, she couldn't get in touch with her contact, so they decided to wait around till the morning to see what happened. Dylan soon returned with some essentials for the night, while Kelly spent some time thinking about what they were going to do. The whole thing started to feel wrong to her. She didn't exactly feel comfortable smuggling drugs from Mexico. She figured that her want to help Matt overtook her rationality and now they were here.

"Dylan, I've been thinking, I don't think I can go through with this..." she confessed as he set the bag down on the table.

Dylan nodded his head. He didn't want her to make a rash decision tonight and since they were stuck here, she had all night to think about it. "Tell you what, why don't you sleep on it? You might feel different tomorrow. In the meantime, here's the basics, toothbrush, shampoo, toothpaste."

"Thank you." Kelly said with a small smile.

"Check out time is 12 noon and you can pretty much forget about room service..." he said with a little laugh that Kelly returned. "But if you need anything, I'll just be across the hall." he said as he picked a bit of dirt out of her hair.

"Thanks" Kelly said softly as she looked at him.

"Just... right over there." he said again as Kelly nodded with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah" she replied as Dylan walked towards the door. As soon as he opened the door, Kelly called him back and he closed it, turning around to meet her.

She held out a toothbrush, "You forgot this..." she said as he stood just a breath apart from her. He had trained himself since she rejected him to not stand too close to her, because he just knew it wouldn't take much for him to get swept up in her, but right now, all of that went out the window. They hadn't been properly alone like this in the longest time. The fact that they weren't in Beverly Hills made it feel like there were no consequences.

Dylan held on to her hand and took the toothbrush from her.

"This feels... different." she said softly. She couldn't quite place why if felt different to be here with him. But she felt calm and she felt herself and she felt that Dylan was himself. He was starting to let go of his past and move forward. Over the past few weeks he had been her rock. They easily fell into old habits and Kelly wondered how she ever lived without him. How she had ever lived without his touch. It was _electric_ and she felt herself _burning_ with desire.

"Different how?" he replied in a barely there whisper as his lips hovered dangerously close to hers. He wasn't prepared to make the first move, he had to know that she really wanted this.

"Different than the last time we were here. More comfortable, less stressed..." she said before closing the gap between them and kissing him. Dylan instantly returned it as his hands snaked around her waist and Kelly's made their way into his hair.

Kelly walked them backwards and pushed him down onto the bed before straddling his lap and leaning down to kiss him again. For one night they wanted to live without any consequences. They wanted to live according to their deepest desires, and they knew those desires would always lead back to each other.

* * *

The following morning, Kelly lay beside Dylan, watching him while he slept. She always thought he looked so cute while he slept. She had told him this countless times over the years and it always made him squirm and smile at the same time. It certainly was a departure from the cool vibe he always gave off. Despite how cute she looked; Kelly couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty. She felt like she was somehow cheating on Matt. She told him she wanted to be with him and then she jumped into bed with Dylan.

Kelly squirmed. She couldn't think of sex with Dylan as just sex. It was never so simple between them. It was always something more. She also felt guilty that she couldn't think about it so casually. When she had woken up that morning, her head was telling her to get out of that bed and go but she just couldn't. Not when it felt so right to be beside him. She had decided, however, that she couldn't go through with getting the drugs. It was too risky- she was a mother after all she had to be responsible.

She watched as Dylan began to stir awake. When he became aware of his surroundings, he looked to his side and smiled when he saw Kelly staring at him.

"That is a look I have missed waking up to..." he confessed quietly.

"We should go home." Kelly simply replied.

"It's a little early Kel..." he said as he rolled onto his side and kissed down her jaw and neck.

"Let me rephrase that—I _want_ to go home." she said as she pushed him back.

"Empty handed?"

Kelly sighed, "I told you yesterday I thought coming down here was wrong."

"Actually, you said you weren't sure. What changed your mind?" Dylan asked. He watched as the guilt spread across Kelly's face and she gulped.

"Oh... you feel guilty for cheating on Matt. He's married Kel..." he reminded her.

"I don't feel guilty that I did it. I feel guilty... that it felt right. That I _don't_ regret it." she confessed. "Even though this isn't going to become something, even though it's only a one-time thing... I could never regret being with you."

Dylan slowly leaned forward and kissed her softly.

"What about Gina?" she reminded him as they rested their foreheads against each other's.

"I'll repent later..." he said as he rolled on top of her and kissed her passionately.

Kelly allowed herself to get lost in him for just a moment before he moved his lips down to her neck. He knew all of her sweet spots, he knew every inch of her body like it was his own and he knew exactly how to please her, which made tearing herself away from him all the more difficult.

"We need to get dressed..." she said quietly. If they didn't get dressed now she might never leave this bed.

"No, I think we need to stay right here, undressed..." he mumbled against her skin.

"_Dylan._ We need to get home to Mollie and Tommy." Kelly said seriously as Dylan felt the moment disappear.

He sighed and propped himself up so he was hovering over her.

"No regrets?" he asked.

"None right now."

"Good" he said as he brushed his nose against hers and gave her a sweet kiss, before moving away and allowing her to get up.

Why did their timing always have to_ suck?_

* * *

As they reached border patrol, Kelly started to get a little antsy. She knew she hadn't done anything wrong, but the fact that she was going to smuggle drugs made her feel a little weird.

"Afternoon folks." the officer asked her as she smiled. "Did you bring anything over the border you need to declare?"

"Uh, nope, no, nothing." she said awkwardly.

"No fruits, vegetables or medicines?"

"No fruits, vegetables and _definitely_ no medicines." Dylan said as Kelly looked at him like he was crazy. Why they _hell_ would he say 'definitely' no medicines? Was he _trying_ to get them caught?

The officer noticed Kelly's reaction and frowned. "Is everything alright miss?"

"Yeah, yeah, everything's fine."

"... go on, tell him the truth." Dylan said as Kelly glared at him.

_"Dylan-"_

"You want to know why she's nervous? We used to date, it was pretty serious, in fact we actually have two children together, that's the level of serious we're talking about, and we came down here last night and well... things happened..." Dylan explained as Kelly's mouth fell open in shock. What the _hell_ was he doing?! "Apparently some of the old magic came back, though in my opinion it never went away. We both got in touch with feelings that we thought were behind us-"

"_Please_ ignore him, this is not true-"

"She seduced me-"

Kelly's head shot round, "I seduced you?! _You_ were all over _me!_"

"I cheat on my girlfriend and now she's giving me the cold shoulder so it's going to be a _long_ ride back-"

"I can't_ believe_ you are talking about this right now-"

"_Move along_." The officer ordered.

"What?"

"Move along. _Now_." he demanded as Kelly quickly drove off. It seemed Dylan's little tale frustrated him the anticipated amount.

"What the hell was that?!" Kelly demanded to know as she smacked Dylan in the stomach with the back of her hand.

"He was about to search the car Kel." Dylan said as he rubbed his stomach. "And that hurt-"

_"So_? We didn't smuggle anything!"

"_We_ didn't but _I_ did..." he said as he lifted out the bottle of Lauren's drugs from the waist band of his trousers. "As ordered."

"I thought we agreed not to do this." Kelly said quietly as she snatched the bottle from him and hid it from sight.

"You changed your mind, I didn't change anything. Your contact called, I arranged a little meet and greet and I handled it." he said with a shrug.

Kelly rolled her eyes. Of course Dylan would act so casual about smuggling drugs across the border. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew you wouldn't approve, just like our friendly customs agent back there." he said as Kelly looked back, still feeling like she was being watched. "That's why I told him all that stuff about us back there..." he added quietly as he looked away from her.

Kelly too looked away from him. "So... you didn't mean any of that stuff back there? About our feelings and the old magic still being there?"

"I think we've already established that there will always be something between us, don't you think?" he asked as Kelly remained quiet. She's already confessed enough to him for one morning, and now they had to put it behind them. Besides, they'd always been good at ignoring the fireworks between them.


	46. Code Red

_So, this whole 'connected' thing has caused a lot of uproar, understandably so! On the whole... I feel like we may have to agree to disagree about it. __I do think he was talking about Toni, but I didn't necessarily think he was saying she was his soul mate. I think you can connect with a lot of people in life but not think you're destined to be together or even feel romantically about, though i see that those are the connotations of Dylan's words in this scenario. While he may not think Toni is his soulmate in this story, they did still connect, and I've said all along that I didn't want to diminish what Toni did for him._ _Dylan and Kelly are also going to talk about this soulmates thing very soon_, _so maybe that will add some clarity (and hopefully not confuse things further!)_

_I thought about changing the line and then I decided to leave it... but I actually thought you all had a point about Dylan contradicting himself and it just not being clear how he felt, so I made a change to what he was talking about in that moment, so be sure to go back a chapter and check it out! I hope you prefer this version._

_For now, G__ina and Mollie butt heads in this chapter and it__'s the calm before the storm for Dylan and Kelly... enjoy! _

* * *

Chapter Forty-Six- Code Red

A few weeks after their trip to Mexico, Dylan and Kelly were doing their best to get on with life. They both agreed that Gina and Matt didn't need to know about their little indiscretion and while Dylan didn't feel one ounce of regret, it was catching up to Kelly. She started to feel guiltier and guiltier about the whole thing as the days went by, especially when Lauren decided to not take the drugs, file for divorce and move back to New York. Matt and Kelly were free to be together, but Kelly was struggling to accept it. She knew she technically did nothing wrong, but she wasn't sure if Matt would see it that way.

She knocked on Dylan's door one Thursday night to talk to him about it and frowned when Dylan opened the door to reveal Mollie fast asleep in his arms.

"Is she ok?" Kelly asked as she came into the house and closed the door.

Dylan sighed, "Every time she falls asleep she has bad dreams so I was rocking her to sleep and when I tried to put her down, she clung on to me for dear life and started whimpering." Mollie had frequently suffered from nightmares over the years and it was something Dylan and Kelly were still working to combat.

Kelly ran her hand over Mollie's hair with a sad face, "You've always had the magic touch with her. Even when she was a baby, I could never get her to settle down and you were the only person who could."

Dylan rested his cheek against Mollie's head and smiled softly. He was so thankful that his children could come to him with their fears and their worries and that he had the power to comfort them. While he knew he would probably be getting zero sleep tonight, he didn't even care. Having his daughter hold him so tightly was the best feeling in the world. Sleep could wait.

"I heard you almost drowned today..." Kelly said as they sat at the table, Dylan being careful not to disturb Mollie.

"Yeah... not my finest hour, but the guy who saved me doesn't want to be found. All I want to do is thank him." Dylan told her vaguely. Apparently this guy was supposed to be dead and Dylan was incredibly confused.

"Well Matt also can't stop saying thank you to me and the more he says thank you the guiltier I feel." Kelly confessed as she twiddled her thumbs.

"The man was with his wife Kel." Dylan reminded her for what felt like the thousandth time.

"Yes but I knew that relationship was going to end one way or another..."

Dylan chuckled lightly, "Do you have another choice or _must_ you over think everything?"

Kelly leaned forward and narrowed her eyes, "It doesn't bother you that you cheated on Gina?"

"Not particularly no." he said casually.

"I don't understand that."

"It's what we do, me and you. With Brenda, Brandon... we cheat on whoever we are with, there is always someone else but—we never cheat on each other." Dylan pointed out. He could never _dream_ of cheating on her. She was everything he had ever wanted, there was no one in this world like Kelly Taylor to him.

"You can add Matt to the list of people we cheat on."

"It's who we are." Dylan said with a shrug.

"This is different. _He's_ different." Kelly said as she looked away from him, not wanting to see the look in his eyes when she confessed: _"I love him."_

"I'm sure that you do." Dylan said without missing a beat as Kelly looked up at him surprised. "But I'm also sure that someday—you're going to want to be with me again."

Kelly merely stared at him, not knowing what to say. His confidence surprised her, but she couldn't bring herself to say that that wasn't true. A part of her wanted to be with him right now, but it just wasn't possible. Their timing sucked and she had this great thing with Matt that she just wasn't prepared to give up.

Kelly's stare was broken when Mollie started to whimper in her sleep, clearly having another one of her nightmares. Mollie clung onto Dylan tighter as he rubbed her back and spoke quietly to her, letting her subconscious know that he was still there. It was moments like this that made Kelly's heart beat that little bit faster for Dylan. Despite everything, he was a wonderful father and no one could take that away from him.

"I should go." Kelly said quietly, seeing that Dylan wanted to focus on keeping Mollie calm and asleep.

"You don't have to" he replied without breaking his gaze from Mollie.

"But I should... I'll see you tomorrow." Kelly said as she quickly kissed Mollie's head before leaving.

* * *

The following evening, Dylan came home after having dinner with Kelly and Matt. Matt wanted to take them out to thank them for what they did for Lauren, but Dylan wasn't really in much of a mood for it. For starters, Kelly had said that Matt knew her just about as well as Dylan did which they both knew wasn't true. Nobody knew Kelly better than Dylan did. The fact that Kelly couldn't even look Dylan in the eye when she said it spoke volumes to him—but it didn't make the comment irritate less.

Then there was the issue of this man who rescued him. He eventually managed to find him and discovered that he wanted to end his own life. He had no idea what to do with that information. What he did know was that he couldn't get death off his mind. He sat down with Gina on the couch and just started to speak his mind.

"That's the funny thing about dying... I kind of always thought I'd go kicking and screaming." he confessed.

"Would you?"

"No. It felt like I was choking, I couldn't really tell up from down and then... _nothing_." he recalled of his experience.

"You were losing consciousness." Gina reminded him. He wasn't _actually_ dying.

"No... I was numb. I have been for months, I just go through the motions."

Gina leaned forward in her seat, not feeling great about the direction this conversation was going. It frustrated her how much she wanted this man when he could never show her that want in return. He felt _numb_ the past few months? She really made him feel _nothing?_

"You should stop. Figure out what you want." she said in a monotone.

Dylan scoffed, "There are no easy solutions to that question... and I don't think I care that much to figure it out. I don't really care about anything."

"No... you just won't _admit_ that you care about anything. You think admitting that you care is just opening yourself up to pain. The moment you admit that you care is the moment things become real. You think you're protecting yourself but you're only hurting yourself more." Gina said as Dylan clenched his jaw, not particularly enjoying being psychoanalysed by her.

"Gina-"

"You care about Mollie and you care about Tommy." she pointed out.

"That's different, they're a part of me-"

"And Kelly?" he asked as Dylan fell silent. "If I remember correctly, you thought she had a piece of your _soul._" While she'd never heard Dylan say that, she'd heard plenty of stories from everybody else.

"If you're expecting me to downplay what we had you can think again." Dylan said quietly and deeply. Never in a million years would he pretend what he had with Kelly wasn't the most meaningful thing he'd ever had.

"No. I just know to never expect you to feel even an_ inch_ for me of what you feel for her" Gina said bitterly.

Dylan ignored her comment, wanting to remove Kelly from this narrative. "I thought we had an understanding about what this was-" They may have been seeing each other pretty exclusively, but Dylan refused to let it become anything serious. Not when his heart would never truly be in it.

"Yet for some reason I'm still here." Gina said with a scoff. "She's with Matt, Dylan. He's good for her and she's happy. It's time you learned to care about something else." Gina said as she stood up and left the house, not wanting to watch Dylan wallow in self-pity for another second.

* * *

Dylan thought a lot about what Gina said over the following few days. He hated that she was right. He needed to learn to care about something else, to find some direction in his life. Life wasn't worth living if he didn't achieve anything. Fortunately for him, some direction came landing at his feet. Noah was in some financial trouble and was looking to sell the Peach Pit to get himself out of it. Dylan initially tried to convince him otherwise, saying that he couldn't sell out a friend, but in the end, Dylan bought the building himself. He'd saved the place once before for his kids so he'd be damned if he let it go again. Besides—he had to do_ something_ with the millions that were just sitting in his account. So, Nat would run the Pit, Noah would run the After Dark and he would make all the big bad decisions.

His decision to take control also meant that things with Gina got back on track. He apologised, she accepted and that was that. Dylan was stupid to think, however, that things would remain harmonious for long. The club was holding a raffle for one lucky fan to spend an evening with rock star Cole Younger and Dylan was stupid enough to rig the vote—in Kelly's favour. Gina was furious, but how was he supposed to know that Gina was also a fan? When they were teenagers, Kelly used to talk about Cole Younger as if he was God's gift to this earth—and it drove Dylan _nuts._ Maybe once she met him she could finally get over her obsession.

The day after the incident, Dylan made his way round to the apartment to apologise to Gina. He smiled softly when Kelly opened the door.

"Hey, is Gina around?" Dylan asked as Kelly let him in.

"I have not checked her side of the apartment..." she quipped as Dylan sniggered.

"Hey twinnies" He said to the kids as they sat in the living room.

"Hi dad!" Tommy replied happily, but Mollie remained silent.

"Mollie... you ok?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm fine." Mollie snapped back.

Dylan crossed his arms, "Oh really? You're not the only intuitive person in the room you know."

Mollie sighed, "I don't think we should discuss the issue at hand. It will only cause friction."

"Cause _friction?_ When did you turn _30 years old?_" he asked as Mollie finally looked at him and glared.

"I don't think you should be _laughing_ daddy."

Dylan looked at Kelly, realising that he wasn't going to get any answers from Mollie about her mood. "What is going on?"

Kelly awkwardly scratched her neck, "Uh- Gina has been a little bit disruptive the past few days to the twins' schedule. Tommy naturally has let it slide, but Mollie-"

"She's Cruella Deville dad!" Mollie exclaimed.

Dylan frowned, "_Hey_, that's enough-" he warned.

"It's the truth, she ruins _everything_!"

"Mollie, I said that's _enough._" he said, raising his voice slightly as Mollie quietened down. "No matter how you feel about someone you should be nasty."

_"Whatever."_ Mollie said as she stormed into her room and slammed the door.

"She's 4 years old, how is she so stroppy?" Dylan asked in disbelief.

"She's a really smart kid Dylan, she's very emotionally aware and articulate and outspoken" Kelly reasoned with facts Dylan already knew about his daughter.

"That's not an excuse for her to lose her temper."

"Well, maybe you two could take lessons together..." Kelly quipped. If Mollie got her anger from anywhere it was definitely her father.

"Funny..."

"Just let her cool down then you can have a rational conversation and hopefully come up with a solution." Kelly suggested.

"What has Gina been doing that's so bad?" Dylan asked with a sigh.

"I reckon they just don't really like sharing you" she said as Dylan couldn't help but smirk. "Hey, about this raffle thing..." she began cautiously. "I really appreciate the gesture but I don't think it's such a good idea." Considering the reaction they got from Gina and Matt, it _definitely_ wasn't such a good idea.

Dylan frowned, "Why not?"

"How about—you have a girlfriend and I have a boyfriend and they have feelings?" Kelly suggested.

"Kelly, it's just a gift from a friend to another friend." he reasoned as Kelly couldn't help but smile. As bad as it was that Dylan rigged it, a part of her really didn't care that he did.

"I have to admit... the idea of meeting Cole Younger is pretty cool..." she confessed as Dylan smirked over her fan girling.

"You used to drive me nuts when we were in high school talking about Cole Younger, I don't think one single day went by where you didn't talk about him and now you get to go out with him, have some dinner, talk about his music, have him sign your stomach or something" he joked as Kelly squealed lightly and hugged him.

They suddenly heard the door slam behind them. They turned around and saw an unimpressed Gina standing there.

"Wow, the happy couple." she quipped.

Tommy jumped up from the sofa, _"Mollie, code red! Code red!_" he shouted as he ran into the bedroom.

_"Tommy!"_ Kelly scolded as he disappeared and Gina rolled her eyes.

"Let's just talk about it-" Dylan said to Gina as he reached forward but she moved back.

"Let's just_ not_ talk about it." she replied before storming into her room.

"Great... now two women in my life are mad at me." Dylan grumbled.

"Looks like you've got some grovelling to do..." Kelly remarked as Dylan gave her a sarcastic smirk and a shove.

* * *

The following afternoon, Kelly took Tommy to the Pit for some pie while Dylan took Mollie to the beach for a stroll. He wasn't sure how he was going to play this one, but he was hoping that Mollie had calmed down from last night and would talk to him.

"What are we doing here dad?" Mollie asked as they walked along hand in hand.

"Just taking a walk" Dylan said with a shrug.

"Why isn't Tommy here?"

"Tommy is going to hang out with mom this afternoon. I thought you and I could do with some quality father-daughter bonding" he told her as Mollie sighed.

"If this is about the other night- daddy I'm fine." Mollie insisted as she looked at her feet.

"Now why don't I believe that?" he asked as he lifted her up and placed her on a bench so they were almost face to face.

"Because I'm not the only intuitive person on the beach?" she quipped, remember his comment from last night.

Dylan chuckled lightly as Mollie crossed her arms over her body. Dylan had noticed that just like Kelly, Mollie always used folding her arms as a way of protecting herself. When she was afraid or sad or angry, she always did it and right now was no exception.

"What has Gina done to upset you?" Dylan asked as he ran his hand over one of her pigtails.

"She's just loud and disruptive and doesn't seem to care if Tommy and I are in the same room as her. Every time she comes home or she arrives at your house she doesn't even say hello. She's always slamming doors and turning our programmes off for hers and she's always stealing you away from us..." Mollie rambled.

"I'm sure she's not trying to be mean-"

"She just doesn't _care_ about us dad." Mollie said solemnly. "Matt may be a bit of a _dweeb_ but at least he cares..."

Dylan smirked, "A dweeb, huh?"

"Yeah... don't tell mom I said that though..." Mollie and Tommy didn't dislike Matt at all, they were more apathetic towards him than anything. He was nice to them- but he just _wasn't_ Dylan.

"Your secret's safe with me." Dylan replied with a wink. "I'll also talk to Gina and make sure she makes more of an effort with you. But you have to promise to be nice to her too. No more huffing and stomping around and saying mean things about her." Dylan made clear. He didn't want Mollie to think that her behaviour last night would be tolerated.

"Mom says mean things about her too and Gina's not so nice about mom either..."

"Well they should also learn to be nicer to one another. Just because we're adults doesn't mean we're always going to behave how we should. We don't always get it right."

"Even you?" Mollie asked.

Dylan was taken aback by this question. He didn't realise that his daughter held him on a pedestal. She had no idea of all the wrong turns he had taken in life and he hoped she never would. It would break him if his children thought bad of him.

"Even me." He replied with a gulp. What else could he say? "But what matters most to mom and I is that you and Tommy are happy and loved. Anything else comes second."

Mollie smiled, "We are happy and loved."

"Good... so, do we have a deal on the Gina thing?" he asked as he held out his pinky finger.

"Deal" Mollie said as she locked her pinky in his.

"Now, come on" Dylan said as he lightly kissed her nose and lifted her up. "Let's get you something sugary..." he said as Mollie giggled in excitement.

* * *

The evening, Dylan was standing in his kitchen with Gina cooking dinner. He had thought all day about how he was going to bring the whole 'my children have a problem with you' thing up, and he figured now was as good a time as any, despite the fact she was still pretty mad at him about the Cole Younger thing.

"So I uh—I had to deal with a pretty angry Mollie today." he said.

Gina grimaced, "Shouldn't you be talking about your children with their mother?"

"Not when you're the problem."

Gina slammed the collinder down and slowly turned round to face him. "_Great_. What has mean old Gina done now?"

"Listen, maybe you see it as a bit of a bummer that I have kids, I don't know, but what it boils down to is that if I'm going to be with someone, they have to know they're taking on my kids too."

Gina glared, "I'm not going to play mommy, especially when you insist that all we're doing is 'having fun'."

Dylan sighed, "I'm not asking you to. I'm just asking that you greet them when they walk into a room, that you let them watch their cartoons and maybe even slip them some chocolate every now and again." he suggested.

"They don't like me Dylan, no amount of chocolate is going to change that and I'm not going to pander to them either."

"They don't like you because they think you don't like them. They're only kids Gina, they're smart but still just kids. You've got to be the one to set the example and strike up the friendship." Dylan encouraged. No matter what Dylan did, his kids were still going to act like kids, but that didn't mean Gina had to act the same.

"... _fine_. I'll be nice to your kids."

"Not begrudgingly if possible." Dylan responded as he lifted the pasta to drain it, leaving a steaming Gina by the stove.

* * *

Gina decided to get her own back on Dylan and Kelly by impersonating Kelly and going on her date with Cole Younger, leaving them both pretty angry. Dylan also got surprisingly jealous about the whole thing. It didn't take long, however, for Dylan to win Gina over after an explosive fight about the whole thing. The past did start to catch up to him though. As they lay in bed that night, Gina had asked him if anything happened between him and Kelly in Mexico—and he _expertly_ lied. She seemed to buy it, but he wasn't convinced he could get away with it for much longer—or that he _wanted_ to get away with it for much longer.

That Saturday night, Dylan sat on the step outside the Walsh House. This house had become a second home to him when he was in high school and he was forever grateful for that. He also often wondered what would have been if he and Brenda had never broken up. Before he could think much further, Kelly, Mollie and Tommy walked up the path.

Dylan smiled, "Well, don't you two look cute in your PJs."

"Mom said we can only come tonight if we put our PJs on." Tommy explained.

"She's convinced we're going to fall asleep before the party's over..." Mollie added, not impressed with her mother's lack of faith in them.

Dylan sighed and ran his hand over her hair, "I'd place money on that too Mollie Moo..."

Mollie pouted,_ "Mean_..." she grumbled before Tommy pulled her into the house.

Kelly looked at Dylan as he simply stared at the door. "You know, the party's inside—you can go in..."

"Yeah... I was just thinking about how many times I've stood out here in front of this door..." he mumbled as Kelly took looked at the door and a lot of memories came flooding back for her too. "Listen Kel, fixing the raffle—it wasn't my best idea."

Kelly gave him a lopsided smirk, "Yeah, that was a mistake..."

"We make a lot of those you and me." Dylan said as he turned to face her. "Do you remember the first time we cheated on Brenda?"

Kelly scoffed. How could she forget? That kiss in her cabana changed her entire _world._ "Yeah, I have a vague recollection..."

"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if we never did that?" Dylan questioned quietly as they turned and looked through the window. They saw Mollie and Tommy laughing about something with their friends and involuntarily smiled.

"I guess we'd still be the most unpredictable best friends on the planet." she said with a small smile.

"Kind of like we are right now?" he asked with a raised eyebrow as Kelly chose to ignore his comment. They could never be just best friends. Ever since that night they sung karaoke at the Pit, their relationship shifted and there was no going back.

"I guess it would have been a bit of a tragedy not to have those two in our lives." Kelly said as they continued to watch the twins.

"They certainly are our saving grace..." Dylan commented. "Though, I don't think that's the only thing that would have been a tragedy."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I've never felt more alive than when I was with you... it would be a tragedy not to know our love."

Kelly smiled softly at him. She could never disagree with that. "Agreed." she said softly as he took her hand in his.

"Come on" he said as he pulled her into the house.

As they walked through the door, they saw Gina walk over to Mollie in the hallway. They stood back and silently watched their conversation.

"Hi Mollie" Gina greeted.

"Hi Gina..."

"So I uh—I have something for you."

Mollie quirked an eyebrow, "What is it?"

Gina brought her hands out from behind her back and revealed a brand new Barbie doll.

"Your dad told me your Barbie collection is a little bit out of control... so I thought I should add some fuel to the fire." she said with a wink as Mollie's eyes widened at the doll.

"This is the one I wanted..."

"Yeah, I heard that somewhere..." Gina replied. It was all Mollie could talk about in the mornings.

Mollie looked up at Gina, "You really got this for me?" she asked quietly.

Gina nodded, "Yes, I did. A girl can never have too many Barbies, no matter what your dad might say..."

"You are _so_ right Gina" Mollie replied as she took the box from her. "Thank you very much" she said sincerely.

"You are welcome" Gina replied as Mollie bolted into the living room to show the others her new doll.

Gina turned around and saw Dylan and Kelly standing there with thankful looks on their faces.

"Don't say I never did anything for you..." Gina replied coolly before walking into the living room herself.

Dylan and Kelly briefly looked at each other before letting out a laugh and following them into the room.


	47. The Violence of Only Existing For You

_The next two chapters are two of my favourites in the whole story. Like my other favourites, they're kind of heartbreaking, but in a romantic way... The moment at the end is based around one of my favourite moments in the entire show. The intensity and the song that played with it was just so good. A keen demonstration that Dylan and Kelly could always say so much without saying anything at all._

_I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Forty-Seven- The Violence of Existing Only For You

Since the Mollie-Gina fiasco, Dylan decided that if he wanted his kids and his girlfriend to make an effort with each other, then he should probably start making an effort too. He therefore, rather begrudgingly, tried to be nicer to Matt and even hang out with him a bit more. He knew the last thing Mollie and Tommy needed was to see the adults in their lives always at each other's throats. What kind of message was that to send? So, Dylan decided to invite Matt down to the pool hall. They teamed up and actually won back some legal fees from a client of Matt's. Kelly couldn't quite believe how they had managed to put their differences aside overnight. She wished she could easily do that with Gina, but she figured that was going to take a little more than a game of pool, though Dylan had actually invited her and Gina to join them tonight for round two.

While Matt paid for their breakfast that Friday morning, Dylan, Kelly and the twins finished up their meals.

"Before you start planning a summer road trip for the four of us, I have to tell you—this is a little weird, you and Matt 'buddying' up..." Kelly confessed as she took a napkin to Tommy's messy mouth.

Dylan shrugged, "It's for these two monsters..."

"Dad says we have to be nice to Gina, so you guys all have to be nice to each other too." Mollie informed Kelly.

Kelly nodded her head, "that sounds like a fair deal."

"And for the record, I wouldn't say we've _buddied_ up, I don't really buddy up-"

Kelly cut Dylan off with a simple raise of her eyebrows as he briefly glanced down at the twins.

"... but yeah, he needed help, so I helped him... like_ friends_ do." he finished as Kelly playfully rolled her eyes at his change in tactic for the twins.

"What a hero..." she teased as Dylan nudged her under the table.

"What I miss?" Matt asked as he came back to the table.

"I was just about to take these two to day camp." Kelly said as she stood from the table. The twins really loved being able go spend all day everyday at the beach at summer camp with their friends.

Tommy groaned, "Do we _have_ to?"

Kelly frowned, "You love camp." They always ran into the place, why the change of tune?

"Tommy has a cruuuuushhhhhh" Mollie teased as Tommy's head shot round.

"I do not!" he exclaimed as he shoved Mollie.

"Woooow..." Dylan said as he lifted Tommy and set him on the other side of him before a brawl broke out.

"Tommy having a crush is nothing to be embarrassed about" Kelly told him softly. She felt her heart melt a little bit at Mollie's words. Her baby boy was experiencing his first crush. She really wished he would stop growing up so fast.

"Well that doesn't matter because I _don't_ have one." He said as he folded his arms and sulked.

"He does _too_ have one. Her name is Laura and he doesn't want to go to camp because Danny also likes her and Laura saw Danny trip Tommy into a pile of dirt yesterday and he's embarrassed now." Mollie blabbed.

"So_ that's_ why you came home covered in mud" Dylan commented. "You didn't go in for a slide tackle in a game of soccer then..." recounting Tommy's fib.

"Mollie why are you such a blabber mouth?!" he exclaimed as he reached over Dylan to hit her, but Dylan held him back.

"Let's not fight about it... Tommy your mom is right, there is nothing to be embarrassed about, having a crush is perfectly normal, I had a crush on your mom when I was around your age." Dylan told him as Matt shifted awkwardly. He knew they were only 5 years old, but he still didn't want to hear about their past, considering when he knew what it developed into.

"Yeah, and we are the best of friends now." Kelly added as Tommy softened his stance.

"It doesn't matter, she likes Danny..." he grumbled as he looked to his feet.

"You don't know that Tommy." Mollie piped in. She was and always would be her twin's biggest supporter, no matter how_ irritating_ he could sometimes be. She figured it was a boy thing, there was no _way_ she was an irritating sister...

"And even if she does, you just have to go in there with your head held high. There's a lot more fun in camp than just a girl you have a crush on." Dylan remarked as he pulled Tommy into his side.

"I guess so..." Tommy mumbled.

"Come on, we better get going." Kelly said as the twins quickly hugged Dylan and slid out of the booth.

"Bye twinnies, have a good day" Dylan told them as they left the Pit.

Dylan and Matt sat in silence for a moment before Matt spoke up.

"So... 5 years old huh?" He said as Dylan winced, not really wanting to get into this right now. "That's a long time to harbour feelings for someone."

Dylan shrugged, "I guess that's how you know it's real." he said before standing up. "See you around." he said before patting an insecure Matt on the shoulder.

* * *

To everyone's surprise, Dylan, Kelly, Matt and Gina's new found friendship was going well. Minus a brief brawl in a pool hall, they were actually getting along. No cheap digs, no snide remarks, no awkward references to Kelly and Dylan's past. It all seemed too good to be true.

Their latest venture as a quartet was to see the magician that Noah had hired to perform a night at the After Dark. Dylan made sure they had front row seats and while Matt and Gina got them some drinks, Kelly used the opportunity to grill Dylan on Tommy's crush.

"Did you really not know about Tommy's crush?" Kelly asked as she leaned over the table.

Dylan chuckled, "He told me he got all muddy playing soccer, not because he was pushed over by his love rival—I think it's safe to say I didn't know."

"You know, I always thought Mollie would be the first to discover boys." Kelly told him. Mollie had always just been that little more confident than Tommy and she was waiting for the day that she came home and told Kelly all about her kindergarten boyfriends.

"Kel... they're 5 years old, they haven't 'discovered' anything. It's a puppy dog crush." Dylan reasoned, there was no need to make a big deal out of this.

"I know Dylan but first crushes can be a big deal, I mean my first crush was you and look how that turned out." she said with an eye roll.

"We are one in a million." Dylan reminded her. It was astounding that they had the relationship that they had for the past 20 years. "... and did you really think Mollie would be first? I don't know Kel, that's my baby girl we're talking about-" Dylan said, not loving the idea of his daughter discovering boys now or in the future.

"Dylan that is not important right now, Tommy is going through something, what if he's really hurt by it or it makes him insecure?" Kelly asked quickly.

"Kel- he was talking about her at dinner." Dylan told her.

Kelly raised her eyebrow, "What?"

"Yeah, he said something about Laura laughing at his jokes so I think he's ok." Dylan said with a smirk.

"... _why_ didn't you tell me that? You could have saved yourself from one of my rambles-"

"Funnily enough Kel, you didn't really give me a chance to _breathe_ let alone talk" he snapped as Kelly smacked his hand in protest.

"So... he's really ok?"

Dylan nodded his head, "He's fine Kel and the moment I see that he's not you'll be the first to know."

Kelly nodded her head just as the Noah introduced the magician onto the stage. After a clumsy start, the magician looked for a volunteer and Dylan immediately pointed at Kelly.

_"Hey_, you always managed to get me up on stage doing things that I have _no_ desire to be doing." she protested.

"Like what?" he asked, thinking she was exaggerating.

_"Karaoke."_ she said through her teeth and Dylan bit his lip and nodded.

"That- that's fair enough actually." he conceded as the magician somehow managed to coax Kelly onto the stage.

He soon hypnotised her and then started playing some tricks. He made her cluck like a chicken and answer questions like had she ever lied on her taxes. Matt and Gina soon returned to the table during his questioning and smirked about the whole thing.

Then, things took an unexpected turn.

"You're a very beautiful woman Kelly and I bet you have a lot of suitors. If you had to be stuck on a dessert island with one of them—who would that be?"

_"Dylan McKay."_ Kelly answered without missing a beat.

Dylan, Gina and Matt froze in shock. Dylan looked down after a moment, desperately trying to hide that his heart had just skipped a beat at Kelly's confession, while Gina and Matt's face fell like thunder.

Soon enough, the magician snapped Kelly out of it and she went and sat back down, unaware of the icy reception she was about to be met with.

"Oo, thanks for the martini." Kelly said as she took a sip. She finally looked at all of their faces and saw how angry Gina looked and how uncomfortable Matt looked. "What's wrong? What did he make me do?"

"Nothing. Just—tell the truth." Matt told her before quickly leaving the table.

"What do you mean tell the truth?" Kelly asked, looking desperately at Gina and Dylan.

"He asked you out of all the suitors in your life who you'd like to be stuck on a desert island with and _guess_ who you said?" Gina said through her teeth as Kelly caught on.

"Gina, I-"

_"Save it._" she said before storming away.

Kelly briefly glanced at Dylan who had no idea what to say before rushing to the bar to find Matt.

"Matt, let me explain-" she pleaded. She had no idea how she was going to do that, but she figured she'd just see what she could come up with in the moment.

"You just got up on stage and said you want to be trapped on a desert island with Dylan, what is there to explain?" he asked. There was no way she could explain her way out of something so explicit.

"He was the last person I saw and that I spoke to before I got on stage, come on Matt, you can't take this seriously?" she said with a laugh in disbelief. It was a stupid trick, nothing more... right?

"I guess tonight I feel like being a serious guy, especially considering how for the past few days, I've heard _all_ about how you've been in love with each other since you were 5 years old and about a pretty intense pool hall incident when you were 16 and then there's these two little kids that you had together-" Matt said, rhyming off just a few moments from their past he'd heard about over the past few days. It seemed Kelly and Dylan had been taking multiple trips down memory lane without even realising it.

Kelly absentmindedly ran her hand across her chin when he mentioned the pool hall incident. She still had a small scar from where she smashed her chin on the ground.

"We don't need to bring the past into this-"

"Really? Cause I think we do. You have this_ insanely_ intense past—_and you can't let it go._" he said through his teeth before lifting his drink and walking away.

"Gina, Gina, Gina-" Dylan called by the door as he chased after her and pulled her back.

"What? 5 minutes ago, Kelly was my new best friend. Fake_ bitch_." she spat as Dylan clenched his jaw at her words. He hated when people were so nasty about Kelly, especially when it wasn't warranted.

"Just cool it, alright-" he began just as Kelly walked over.

"Listen Gina, I just wanted to say-"

_SLAP._

Gina's hand collided with Kelly's face at a remarkable force before she turned and stormed out of the building.

"Are you alright?" Dylan asked as he immediately inspected her cheek.

Kelly pushed him away. "_I'm fine_." she said through her teeth as she glared out the door.

Kelly went to walk away but Dylan was quick on her tail. They made it into the hallway and Dylan pulled her arm back.

"Kelly, wait." Dylan said as he turned her around.

"What, Dylan?" Kelly said, refusing to look at him.

"What just happened?" he asked quietly.

Kelly gulped, "I don't know."

"Were you really hypnotised?" he asked, not understanding where this was coming from. She had made it pretty clear that she didn't want anything more from him than friendship. He could see in her eyes that she maybe didn't always mean that. That she was conflicted. That she was scared to turn to him so she was continually playing it safe... but he never expected something like this.

_"Yes_. I—I don't remember choosing you over Matt and I have no idea why I would do that." she rambled as she ran her hand over her forehead.

"Maybe... because that's how you really feel." he challenged as he took a step closer to her.

Kelly gulped, "Don't do this."

"Do what?"

"Make this into something. You and I—we can't happen. Not again." she said quietly in a strained voice.

"No matter how much we want it to?"

Before Kelly could answer, Gina came bursting over and jumped into Dylan's arms, making some big claim about being attacked at knife point. When Dylan couldn't see anybody, Kelly was quick to call her out for being an attention seeker and a liar.

It appeared that this whole friendship thing was too good to be true after all.

* * *

After speaking with Matt the following morning and quickly making amends, Kelly went to the pit looking for Gina. She soon found her trying to fix her tire outside. She cautiously approached her, not wanting this whole thing to blow up.

"Hi" she said as she stood on the opposite side of the car.

"Well, I know you're not here to help me with this..." she sniped as she continued to change her tire.

Kelly crossed her arms, "Lose the attitude Gina."

_"Spit it out Kelly."_

Kelly sighed, "I'm here to apologise for last night. For the hypnotist, for not believing you were attacked-"

"For not being able to shake my boyfriend?" she asked. Kelly gulped, hating that Gina saw exactly what Matt saw. She just couldn't let Dylan go. "At least you're honest about it. Nobody else in this town seems to have that trait. _Especially_ the guys." she remarked as she stood up and leaned against the wall. She knew in her heart that Dylan couldn't let Kelly go either. He probably would _never_ be able to do that, but she couldn't admit it to herself. "This was all supposed to be mine..." she mumbled, looking at the car in front of her. She was looking after it for an old skating rival of hers and she hated that she got all she had dreamed for.

"Life takes unexpected turns. You're never going to be happy if you can't let it go." Kelly advised her.

"Can you do that? Can you promise me you'll let Dylan go?" she asked with a scoff, knowing that her answer would be no.

Kelly gulped. _Let Dylan go_. Her head was telling her that she'd already done that, but her heart was telling her that it wasn't possible. How could she possibly let 20 years of love and friendship and family and passion and desire and joy go? It almost seemed _cruel._ But she knew she needed to take her own advice. She was never going to be happy with Matt as long as she held on to her love for Dylan, no matter how much it broke her to do so.

_"I promise."_ she found herself saying almost absentmindedly. She felt numb as the words escaped her lips. This was it. How could this be it? Was this_ really_ it?

She didn't even look at Gina as she turned and got back into her car. She had to find a way to make good on her promise.

* * *

_What ravages of spirit_

_Conjured this tempestuous rage_

_Created you a monster_

_Broken by the rules of love_

_And fate has led you through it_

_You do what you have to do_

Kelly sat at the desk in her room that night after successfully managing to avoid speaking to anyone else apart from the twins for the rest of the day. She finished writing on a page and slipped it into an envelope and sealed it, just as she heard some laughter from outside.

She walked over to her window and looked through the blinds, seeing Dylan hugging Gina. She looked away for a brief moment and down at the letter in her hands, before looking back out of the window. The rest of the scenery blurred around her as she looked straight at Dylan. She had loved this man for as long as she had known him and having him here but not _really_ _having_ _him_ for the past few months had hurt more than she cared to admit.

_And I have the sense to recognise_

_That I don't know how to let you go_

She watched as Dylan looked up and caught her eye and her breath caught in her throat. In any normal circumstance, she would have turned away, but she _couldn't._ Not with him. He stared straight into her eyes like he'd always done for the past 20 years. He saw straight past her fears and straight into her _soul._ Kelly was suddenly reminded of her mother's words when they were 17.

_"I have never seen anybody look at anybody the way Dylan McKay looks at you."_

Those words had always haunted her. She watched as Dylan gulped and sadness flushed across his eyes. She knew then that he was struggling just as much as she was with the thought of letting each other go.

_Every moment marked_

_With apparitions of your soul_

_I'm ever swiftly moving_

_Trying to escape this desire_

_The yearning to be near you_

_I do what I have to do_

Kelly finally found it in her to close her blinds and turn away from him, despite feeling her heart break in two. She bent down onto the floor and reached under her bed, pulling out an old shoe box. She lifted the lid and sifted through the contents. There were countless letters in there addressed to her, done in Dylan's scrappy hand writing.

However, as she reached deeper into the box, she lifted out all her letters until half of them remained. The half that remained were all addressed _to Dylan_. She had replied to all the letters he wrote her and more. She had even replied to the letter he wrote her when he was 10 years old. She took the letter she had just written and slipped it in with all the others. She wondered if she would ever have the courage to give him these letters, but right now, she knew that wasn't possible. She knew she had to find a way to live without him, no matter what it took.

_Deep within I'm shaken by the violence_

_Of existing for only you_

_I know I can't be with you_

_I do what I have to do..._

* * *

_So Kelly has been writing letters too..._

_More to come on when this started and why this started... so stay tuned!_


	48. Tempestuous Rage

_Hi everyone! Meant to say that the song I used last chapter was the song they played on the show- Sarah McLachlan, Do What You Have To Do. It's a sad but good song!_

_I've had a couple of reviews from people saying they no longer understand why Kelly and Dylan aren't together when Gina and Matt aren't valid excuses...and you're right, but it isn't about them, it's about Dylan and Kelly's own issues. Dylan is afraid of letting her down and Kelly is afraid of being let down. They get into these issues in this chapter._

_With your thoughts in mind, however, I'm starting to rethink the direction of this story. I'm a sucker for heartbreak and tension in a story (which I think is why I like this chapter and the last one so much) but I'm also a sucker for declarations of love, and happiness! So... I'm leaving this chapter the way it is and will potentially rejig the rest, but we'll see how that actually plays out. I want to make sure there isn't anything I'm losing that I really want to keep._

_For now, t__hings reach boiling point between Dylan and Kelly in this chapter as we round up season 9... enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Forty-Eight- Tempestuous Rage

Over the next few weeks, Kelly managed to _expertly_ avoid Dylan. When he came to pick up or drop off the twins, she always made sure Donna was the one doing the hand over and when they were together with their friends, she always stayed in the opposite corner. She knew it was immature to be completely blanking him, but until she worked out how she could ever truly let him go, she wanted to stay away.

Things came to a head, however, when Kelly ran into Dylan at the supermarket. They had a coffee together and Dylan managed to save a lady from being mugged. News reporters were all over the story and when they looked for Dylan's name they both panicked. They didn't want Gina and Matt to think that they were sneaking around behind their backs, so Kelly lied. She said she was with Steve and things began to spin out of control. Steve went along with it for a while, but the pressure started to get to him and he exploded at Dylan and Kelly for being so sneaky.

_"A cup of coffee? Please. You two may as well sleep together. You know, you don't really fit, yet in some kind of weird way, you do fit. We all see it. Matt sees it and so does Gina. So for our sake—get it over with already._"

Little did Steve know, they _had_ gotten it over with and they had been skirting around the issue ever since. The guilt Kelly was suffering from the whole thing almost led her to tell Matt the truth, but she just couldn't do it. She did tell him about the supermarket incident, but when she went to confess her indiscretions in Mexico, the words just wouldn't come out of her mouth. Dylan also considering confessing to Gina, but he just couldn't do it either. Little did they know, the whole thing was about to bite them in the ass.

One Friday night, Kelly and Matt were at home, spending the night with the twins. They finally managed to get them to sleep after they_ somehow_ managed to stay up an hour past their bed time. They were in a particularly crazy mood tonight, but Kelly and Matt were glad to be alone for now. They were going to watch a movie, but they got a little carried away and ended up having sex on the couch. Kelly had entirely forgotten, however, that the nanny cam she set up to make sure the twins were getting along with their new babysitter was still recording.

After a strange set of circumstances that involved the twins switching out the nanny cam video for their favourite cartoons in the hopes of sneakily watching them at night, Dylan and Gina got their hands on the tape. When they put it in the video player there were completely shocked and confused by what they saw.

Gina burst out laughing, "Oh my _GOD,_ Matt and Kelly made a sex tape?!"

"What the hell?" Dylan grumbled angrily as he quickly took the video out.

"Wait, no! What are you doing?!" Gina protested.

"Show's over Gina." Dylan said bitterly.

"Come on-"

_"I said no._" he snapped as he glared deeply and Gina clenched her teeth. That was one way to make his true feelings known.

* * *

The following morning, Dylan sat grumpily in The Pit with Gina while Kelly, Matt and the twins had breakfast in the corner. He couldn't describe the feeling he had in the pit of his stomach. He was angry and jealous and frustrated. Why did he have to see that? He didn't need a reminder of what Kelly had. He didn't need reminded that what she had wasn't with_ him._

"I think they should release it on DVD. They could call it _Matt and Kelly: Unzipped."_ Gina joked, finding the whole thing hilarious. "They could make a lot of money with their own line of sexual aids."

"I think you should drop it." Dylan grumbled as he drunk his coffee.

Gina sighed, "It's kind of bothering me that you don't find the humour in this situation."

"Good morning" they heard Matt say beside then as he, Kelly and the twins appeared at the till.

"Hi dad" Tommy greeted.

"Hi twinnies" Dylan said quietly as Kelly raised an eyebrow at his grumpy demeanour.

"He's a little more monosyllabic this morning than usual." Gina told them.

Mollie frowned, "Why daddy?"

"Well Mollie, we went to see this movie last night and we've just been arguing all morning. I thought it was incredibly romantic." Gina shot as she turned to look at Dylan who was sitting with his jaw clenched.

"You didn't think it was romantic dad?" Tommy asked.

"I gotta go." Dylan replied as he lifted his jacket and left The Pit.

"Must have been some movie..." Kelly said with a little laugh, wondering how Dylan could let a movie get him so wound up.

"Five stars." Gina confirmed with a smirk.

* * *

Dylan's reaction to the tape bothered Gina for the rest of the day. He wasn't even trying to hide how jealous he was and all Gina could think was that Dylan had never shown so much emotion about her as he did to Kelly. She knew that he could never love her like he loved Kelly and it hurt more than she could say. She hated that she loved someone who would never love her back.

Dylan had tried to make up for his behaviour, but Gina was quick to call him out on his bullshit. She also had a bad feeling about Mexico. They had been acting weird when they got back and she just wasn't convinced Dylan was telling her the truth, so she put his lies to the test.

_"I know you slept with Kelly in Mexico."_

_"... how do you know?"_

_"You just told me."_

Gina felt a mixture of pain and rage flow through her body in that moment and Dylan knew that things were going to explode between the four of them. The secret was out and there was nothing he could do.

_"Let the games begin"_ he had said to Matt after Gina forced him to tell the truth. He'd tried to act cool about it. He'd tried to keep it together but he was filled with fear and dread. Kelly would probably never forgive him for this and he was dreading seeing the look on her face when she found out.

_"I thought we agreed to keep Mexico a secret, I thought we had an understanding!"_ she shouted at Dylan's back as she walked into his office and slammed the door behind her.

"We did." Dylan said quietly as he continued to look through the filling cabinet.

"You destroyed something precious to me Dylan!"

"I didn't mean to-"

"You are disgusting, I will _never_ forgive you for this!" she said with tears in her eyes. She felt so betrayed by him in that moment. She knew he wasn't happy seeing her with Matt, but she didn't think he would ever try and rip it apart.

Dylan turned around and looked at her, anger evident in his own eyes which was not what Kelly expected to see.

"You video tape yourself having sex with someone and you call _me_ disgusting?"

Kelly glowered, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you and Matt in the living room."

Kelly shook her head, still completely confused. "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"Do you always use to coffee table or were you just improvising that day?" he snapped.

As Kelly's face fell. There was a video of them from the other night? How the hell was that possible? "Where did you get it?" she asked quietly.

"All I know is I went to put a movie in the VCR and before I knew it, there you two were, going at it." he said bitterly as he walked around the table.

"Oh my god the nanny cam." Kelly said as her hand fell over her mouth, realising she never turned it off from the night before.

"Yeah, I bet you regret your little spy mission now..." Dylan grumbled as he looked at his feet.

Kelly folded her arms and stood taller, trying to keep her composure, "Who saw it?"

"Just me and Gina. I told her not to say anything."

Kelly rolled her eyes, "Oh, that is _so_ comforting Dylan." she said sarcastically. "I want that tape."

"I took a hammer to it." he said without missing a beat.

"Then I want the pieces!"

"God, you are so _frustrating!"_ he exclaimed, finally starting to really lose her temper.

"_I'm_ frustrating?! Have you even _met_ you?! You are the _biggest_ frustration of my life and you have been since we were_ 5 years old_!" she shouted back as they finally stood toe to toe.

"That's funny because I remember our past a little different." he responded as he took a second to calm himself down. "I remember you being my dearest friend and my deepest love." he said quietly as Kelly gulped at his words. "Then I remember you turning your back on me. I've lost a lot in my life Kelly... but you were the hardest loss I ever had to bear." he confessed.

"Dylan-" Kelly said as she felt herself choking up. "My love for you _consumed_ me. I wanted _nothing_ but _you_ and I held onto you for _dear life_ but you didn't want me back!" she said as the tears finally started streaming down her face. She hated that it had taken them almost 5 years to have this conversation. She hated how every emotion she had clogged up inside her was pouring out right now. "I _never_ turned my back on you. I just stopped fighting for something you clearly didn't want. So yeah, you lost me... but it wasn't _my_ fault."

Dylan looked at her sadly. Did she really think that? Did she really think that he didn't want her? He knew he screwed up with the whole losing his money situation. But it was as if the years before that meant nothing to her.

"Do you really think that I didn't want you?" he asked quietly as Kelly just stared up at him. "You think that I called you my soulmate for nothing? You think I wrote you all those letters for nothing? You think I promised you one day for _nothing?_ I went through some rough patches, I didn't always think clearly, but if you think that I didn't want you... then I'm started to think you don't know me at all."

Kelly shook her head; "How could I possibly believe that I'm your soulmate when you told me that Toni was. You chose to _marry_ her Dylan." she reminded him. He seemed to be conveniently forgetting that little part of their lives.

"I asked you first." he replied. His marriage to Toni would have never happened if she hadn't have turned him down.

"So what? I said no so you just gave up?" she asked. "You just settled and decided to call someone else your soulmate to make yourself feel better? To push me away?" she doubted that this was how he thought, but it was how it sounded. It sounded like what he had with Toni wasn't real.

"I didn't give up anything." he made clear. "I ran towards something that made me happy. Did you really expect me to sit around and wait until you were finished with your boyfriend of the month?" he snapped back. He wasn't prepared to sit here and take all the blame for this. _She_ was the one who dated his best friend and_ she_ was the one who dated Colin.

"No, I didn't Dylan but I'd appreciate it if you didn't flippantly use a word like soulmates and then start writing me letters calling me that as if it's no big deal!" she said as Dylan remained quiet. "I am not trying to take what you had with Toni away, believe me-" she made clear. She knew that Toni gave him a new lease of life and that was important to Dylan.

"She gave me purpose." Dylan confirmed. "She gave me direction when I felt like I had none... she made me feel just a fraction of how _you_ make me feel. So yeah- I thought she must have been my soulmate if I couldn't have you." Dylan scoffed at himself, "How messed up is that?" He asked. He'd basically tried to replace Kelly and failed and Toni lost her life in the process. It seemed ridiculous. "In that moment I loved her... but I am _consumed_ by you. I always have been." he made clear. "but you're right- I shouldn't have thrown 'soulmate' around like that. It wasn't fair and I shouldn't have just dropped it on you again like Toni never happened... "

Kelly stepped backwards and leaned against the wall, completely broken.

"I can't do this anymore Dylan." she said in a whisper as Dylan stepped forward and placed his hand above her shoulder and on the wall as the tip of their noses brushed against each other's. Kelly knew she should move, but she couldn't. She was _paralysed_ by him.

"Do what?" he asked.

"Fight with you. It is _exhausting_." she said as she felt her tears form again and her voice crack.

"Do you ever wonder why we fight so much?" he asked. Recently, it didn't take much for them to snap at one another. "You're right. We're _frustrated_. We're frustrated that we can't just say I love you so we fight. We fight and we somehow hope that it makes walking away from each other easier."

Kelly rested a hand on her chest, feeling her heart pound against it, as Dylan continued to hover about her, dangerously close to her lips.

"And is it? Easier?" she asked as she closed her eyes and let herself get swept away in being so close to him.

"You tell me." he replied.

_"No._ I don't think there will ever be a day when my heart doesn't hurt when I think about you." she responded. She was so afraid of him and the way that he made her feel. She was so afraid of what it might do to her. She was afraid that his love might destroy her, because she almost didn't survive the last time and neither did he.

Dylan rested his forehead against hers and took his turn to close his eyes. They felt oddly calm in this moment together despite the shouting and the tears. They felt at peace despite the explosive words they'd shared.

"It doesn't have to ache." Dylan confessed as he finally took the plunge and kissed her tenderly. Kelly didn't resist and she didn't hesitate to kiss him back. It was sweet and it was loving and it was filled with every emotion they had bottled up for the last 5 years.

When they broke apart their lips hovered above each other's for a moment, briefly brushing as they just breathed each other in.

"I think it does." Kelly finally replied as she slipped past Dylan and out the door, leaving them both feeling completely _empty._

* * *

Under the circumstances of the Mexico incident, Kelly managed to reason with Matt and he realised he couldn't be mad. He was with his wife, Kelly was free to do what she wanted and that's exactly what she did. So, they made amends, though Kelly felt that this moment would probably hold a shadow over their relationship for the foreseeable future.

Kelly wasn't sure how she and Dylan could ever come back from this, however. She kept replaying their moment in his office over and over again in her head. All the tension that had been building between them since his return finally hit a head. Hell, all the tension that had been building between them since they broke up 5 years ago finally hit a head. It was so destructive and yet again Kelly walked away from him because she was afraid. She was afraid of what it might do to her and she went back to something that she knew was secure and safe.

She sat in the armchair in Mollie and Tommy's room that night watching them as they slept. She wondered how they could have made something so perfect but everything else around them had fallen to pieces. It didn't make any sense. There was a light knock at the door and Kelly got up to answer it. She was surprised to see a sheepish looking Dylan on the other side.

Kelly crossed her arms over her body, "Here for round two?" she asked referring to their earlier argument.

Dylan scoffed, "More like round 100."

They just stood there for a brief moment before Dylan reached into his pocket and lifted out the video. He handed it to Kelly as she cautiously took it from him.

"I thought you said you smashed it?"

"Part of me wishes I did... but there's nothing on there to be ashamed of." he said quietly. "He loves you and you love him... it was difficult for me to see that." he confessed.

"I'm sure if the roles were reversed, I wouldn't be able to press play." she replied. She knew for a _fact_ she wouldn't be able to do that.

Dylan shook his head. "It's different." His heart was breaking standing in front of her, saying these words. He felt like their fight earlier was the moment they had both craved. The moment they needed to finally find it in themselves to move on. "You found someone who makes you happy and who doesn't frustrate you or make you cry or makes your heart ache." Dylan recited, thinking of all the things he did to her over the years.

Dylan reached up and wiped away a stray tear that fell down Kelly's face with her thumb. She didn't know what to say. She felt paralysed by his words. She couldn't find it in her to agree but to also say that he made her feel a lot more than that and it wasn't all bad.

"I'll probably spend the rest of my life wishing that I was that person... but I'll learn to live with it because I know you're happy." he said, making assumptions on how she felt based on the words she spouted. There wasn't anything else he could assume from her words and actions.

He slowly lent down and kissed her cheek, lingering on for a little bit before pulling away.

"Goodnight Kelly." he said softly before walking away, leaving Kelly feeling like the life had been sucked out of her.

* * *

In the aftermath of everything coming out, Dylan and Kelly decided to do what they did best—pretend that everything was normal. There wasn't much else they could do anyway. They didn't want Mollie and Tommy to catch on that anything was wrong. While they were ok with each other, things between Dylan and Gina couldn't have been worse. He kept putting his foot in it and hurting her and it was driving him completely nuts. He hated himself for his actions and he hated that he'd seriously hurt her. The agony of losing Kelly and hurting Gina had caused him to get antsy and he wanted nothing more than to take some drugs and make it all go away.

To stop himself from doing it, he called Kelly and she immediately came to find him. No matter what was going on between them, she would never abandon him when he needed her. As she was getting out of her car to go into the bar Dylan was in, Kelly was grabbed from behind and held at knife point. The man told her if she made any noise he would kill her, so Kelly just lay there and took it. The man raped her and she was left feeling completely numb.

She made it to the hospital, completed the rape kit and spoke to the police, before silently making her way home to shower and change before work. The world around her felt like it was moving in slow motion and she wished the ground would just swallow her up. She couldn't speak about what happened, she didn't want to see a soul, but she also didn't want to sit around alone all day.

She put on the comfiest clothes she could find and made her way into work. When she got there, Donna told her that Dylan came barging into the apartment at 1am last night looking for her. He ended up staying with the twins all night before taking them to camp. Kelly had entirely forgotten about Dylan. She knew he was probably sick with worry right now.

She left the store briefly to grab a coffee and flinched slightly when she heard Dylan's voice behind her, not expecting it.

"There you are." he said as he breathed a sigh of relief and stood beside her at the counter. "What happened last night? You didn't show, I was worried, I ended up staying with the twins all night."

"I'm fine" Kelly merely replied quietly.

Dylan took in her appearance and saw that she had pulled her cardigan right round her body. Her lip was cut and she looked lost and afraid.

"I can see that you're not fine." he told her as he watched her, concerned.

"Something came up." she simply replied.

"Kelly, you're my best friend. I called you, I said I was thinking about using heroin and when you guys have these little interventions, you say that you'd do anything, that you'd walk through fire to be there for me-"

_"I would._" Kelly quickly made clear. She hated that she was making Dylan feel like she wasn't there for him, because she was, she always would be.

"Then why didn't you?" Dylan pried further. If her excuse what that 'something came up' then it was a lousy excuse.

Kelly finally looked up at Dylan and gulped. She had trusted this man her whole life. If she couldn't trust him now who could she trust? She knew in her heart that he was the only person on the planet who could make her feel safe and secure.

_"... I was raped."_ she confessed quietly as Dylan's face fell and his heart sank. He delicately pulled her into his chest and held her, letting her cry and allowing tears to form in his own eyes. How could someone do this to her? How could someone violate _his Kelly_? He was filled with rage and anger and despair and sadness.

"Did you talk to the police?" he asked quietly as he rested his cheek against her head and ran his hand down her hair. She nodded against his chest, unable to say anymore. "You're going to be ok. I _promise_ you'll be ok." he told her quietly, not knowing what else to say.

* * *

Dylan took Kelly back to his house to get away from prying eyes and to just talk. She told him that she didn't want anybody knowing what happened for now. She just wanted to get through the next few days without completely breaking. He nodded his head, just wanting to make her as comfortable as possible. Over the next few days, he watched as she told her friends that the reason she cut her lip was because Tommy threw a toy that was supposed to go in the toy box but got her instead. He also took her to the police station, he took her to get the locks on the apartment changed- whatever she needed.

Everyone around them thought it was a little strange that Kelly was clinging on to Dylan. Mollie and Tommy also found Kelly's mood in general a little strange. They could tell that she was really sad, despite the smile she tried to plaster on her face.

"Dad" Mollie said one morning as they sat in the Pit.

"Yeah Moo?"

"We're worried about mom..." she confessed quietly.

"She hurt her lip and she's been really sad for the past few days." Tommy added.

Dylan should have known better than to think Mollie and Tommy wouldn't realise something was up.

"Mom uh—she got hurt the other day so she's not really been feeling herself." Dylan said vaguely.

"Like when you were sick?" Tommy asked, remembering that Dylan definitely wasn't himself either.

"Sort of bud."

"Is she going to be ok?" Mollie asked, the fear evident in her eyes.

Dylan nodded, "She will be fine, I promise. Just make sure you give her plenty of hugs and you're nice to her and don't be naughty..." he rhymed off. "Not that you two ever would be bad..." he said with a little smile that the twins returned.

"We'll be on our best behaviour, we promise." Tommy responded.

"Good. Now come on, camp awaits." Dylan said as they finished up their breakfast before leaving. He wanted to keep things as normal as possible for the twins and that meant taking them to their summer day camp and smiling and making sure they knew everything would be ok.

* * *

Soon enough, Kelly finally found the courage to tell Donna and Matt what happened. Matt was shocked and saddened by what she told him. He was also a little angry that she had gone to Dylan instead of him, but Dylan reminded him that victims of sex crimes often find it easier to talk about it with someone they're not having sex with. They started to work together in a bid to hunt down the guy who did this, but little did they know—he was a client of Matt's.

While Kelly finished up in the store one evening, he came waltzing into the plaza and saw her. With a dirty smile on his face he walked into the store and locked the door, pulling a knife out on her. Kelly swiftly reached into her bag and pulled out the gun she had Dylan get her. She warned him to stay back, she warned him to stay away but he kept walking forward.

_BANG. BANG. BANG._

He fell onto the floor—_dead._


	49. Take My Hand, Take a Breath

_Hi everyone! Thank you for all your reviews again, I really appreciate hearing what you guys have to say. _

_I've been going through the remaining chapters all night, seeing if there was anything I could shift around and change the story a little, but the more I think about it, the more I want to keep things the way they are. There are just too many moments of angst and frustration and also of joy and happiness that I want to keep in it that I just couldn't if I changed the direction. It's an exceptionally slow build and I__ understand that it's frustrating for some, but I can assure you there are so many worthwhile moments in these last ten chapters. They really just emphasise that Dylan still has some growing to do and Kelly has a lot of fears to overcome. I don't want that to just happen in an instant. I'm also going to do my best to write a few extra chapters on the end for a glimpse into their future._

_I hope you all understand and know I am trying my very best to include what you want to see, but it's just not always possible. I really do think you're going to enjoy these remaining chapters! _

_So, without further ado- Dylan helps Kelly with her intimacy issues and considers his next steps. Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Forty-Nine- Take My Hand, Take a Breath

There were very few moments in Dylan's life that he could point to and say that he felt truly afraid. He normally let things just go over his head and avoided the consequences. Even when his father or Toni died, he wasn't scared—just _numb_. There were two outstanding moments in his life that he knew fear. Firstly, when the twins were born. They were so tiny and Mollie in particular was so sick and he was terrified that they would be taken away from him. If they weren't ok then there was no way he could ever be ok.

That evening, Dylan added the second moment to his list. The moment he'd received a phone call telling him Kelly had been involved in a shooting. He'd hung up before Donna could even tell him if she was the one who had been shot. He just ran out of the house with Gina in tow (they'd fallen into bed together after commiserating over their sucky lives.) When they got to the station, Dylan finally let Donna explain what was going on. He was so thankful that she was ok but also worried sick about what could happen next. Despite wanting to stay at the station and do whatever he could to help, Dylan soon accepted that there was nothing he could do for now. Instead, he went to pick the twins up from Mel and Jackie's and take them back to the house.

"Dad, why are you picking us up and not mom?" Tommy asked as they walked into the house and set their backpacks down by the door.

"Mom has something she has to deal with tonight, we're going to have a fun night here instead." Dylan said, trying to sound as upbeat as possible.

"Is she ok?" Mollie asked with a frown.

"... she will be." Dylan said hesitantly. He never wanted to lie to his kids, but he also didn't want to worry them.

Mollie crossed her arms and quirked an eyebrow, "That doesn't fill me with an awful lot of assurance daddy."

Dylan couldn't help but smirk, "You are remarkable in tune with your emotions, huh Mols?"

Mollie smiled proudly, "Mom says I'm a very intuitive 5-year-old."

"That you are... come here." Dylan said as he crouched down and opened his arms for his kids who quickly hugged him. "Mom is ok. She just has to deal with some pretty important adult stuff tonight, but I promise we will see her tomorrow and she will be so glad to see your faces." he said as he hugged them as tightly as he could.

* * *

To add to his ever-growing list of problems, Dylan needed to find a new place to live. David had been getting along well with Gina since her break up with Dylan and he was hopeful that something would happen, but Dylan swooped in yet again and drew Gina back in, filling David with rage. He hated that someone as selfish and obnoxious as Dylan always got what he wanted while guys like himself were left out on the cold. The so-called 'nice guys.' So, David decided not to be so nice anymore and told Dylan he had to go.

Dylan tried to not let it phase him and told David he'd be in a hotel that night, no bother. He then quickly ushered Mollie and Tommy out of the house before they ended up on the receiving end of this feud. He took them to the Pit for some breakfast and hopefully distract them for a while before they started asking questions about Kelly again.

They weren't there for long, however, before Kelly walked through the door. They jumped off their seats and ran straight into her open arms.

"Oh my angels, I am so glad to see you" she said as she closed her eyes and squeezed them tightly.

"Are you ok momma?" Mollie asked as they pulled back from the hug, but Kelly still kept her arms securely around her babies.

"I'm ok baby." she said as she ran her hand over Mollie's hair. She briefly admired the french braids that were in her hair—Dylan really had gotten good at doing them. "Did you have a good night with your dad?"

"Yeah, we just watched a movie" Tommy said with a shrug.

Kelly smirked, "Way past your bed time I'm sure..."

"Hey munchkins" the heard Nat say from behind the counter. "Why don't you come help me whip up this next batch of pancakes?" he asked, seeing that Dylan was itching to speak to Kelly.

The twins quickly ran behind the counter as Dylan stood up and walked towards Kelly.

"Hi" He said quietly as he stood in front of her.

"Hi" she replied in a whisper before Dylan engulfed her in a hug. From the moment she left the station, the first thing she wanted was a hug from him. Being in his arms just made her feel so safe. It made her feel like no one would ever harm her again.

They both felt tears prickle in their eyes as they pulled back from the hug, but still held on to each other, Kelly by his waist and Dylan by her shoulders.

"When I got the call from Donna my heart just sank to the pit of my stomach..." he confessed. "I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you."

"_I'm here._" she said as she rested her hand on his cheek. "_I'm ok_." she assured him before dropping her hand back down. "Are Mollie and Tommy ok?"

Dylan nodded, "They're fine, just glad to see you. Are you ok?" he asked, realising that it was probably a stupid question.

Kelly shrugged, "As well as someone can be after they've killed a person."

"You did the right thing." he insisted as he ran his hands over her arms.

"I don't know-"

"Kelly, no, don't do this to yourself." he said quickly. She couldn't doubt herself, not when all was said and done.

"I'm not saying I did the wrong thing but did I give him a chance to stop? Did I warn him?" she asked as she dropped her hands from his waist and crossed her arms, her normal act of emotional defence.

Dylan continued to run his hands up and down her arms. "It wouldn't have made a difference."

Kelly gulped and looked at him, "I _killed_ someone Dylan. It could have made_ all_ the difference. The cops made me feel like a criminal-"

Dylan quickly cupped her cheeks, "You are _not_ a criminal." she said sternly as Kelly just looked at him.

The door opened behind them and Steve and Janet walked in. They were about to walk over to them before they paused, seeing that they were in what looked like an intimate moment. Dylan briefly looked up and spotted them, dropping his hands and backing away slightly. It didn't even occur to him how closely they were standing. He wasn't even remotely sorry though. Matt had accused him the other day of having no idea what Kelly needed, but that just wasn't true. She needed _him_ and she always would.

* * *

The following morning, Dylan and the twins woke up in his new two bed-roomed suite at The Bellage. Dylan had called in a favour with the manager and got the best suite he had. Hector had looked out for him when he lived there in high school, so he was more than happy to have Dylan back.

"In your three years here, you made quite the impression Dylan." Hector said as he called up that morning to make sure everything was ok.

"This time around, I plan on being lower maintenance." Dylan said as Tommy and Mollie came running in. "Can't say the same about these two though" he said as he wrapped his arms around them. "Hector this is Mollie and Tommy. Hector used to make sure I didn't get into too much trouble back in the day."

"Hi Hector" Tommy greeted as Mollie smiled.

"It's very nice to meet you both. I see you enjoyed your Belgium waffles." he said as he motioned to the empty plates on the table.

"They were delicious!" Mollie confirmed. She could certainly get used to this living in a hotel thing.

"Yeah and they were a one off, you're back on fruit and oatmeal tomorrow..." Dylan assured them as they pouted and walked over to the sofa. "I don't think you'll have to worry about those two sneaking out like I did just yet..." Dylan joked. "And I'm sure if they did, they would also have those cameras fixed seeing as they're as smart as their old man."

Hector smirked, "When I think of the way your father depended on me-"

"It was money well spent." Dylan said gratefully, just as Gina appeared at the already opened door.

"Wow... hi sweetie" she said as she kissed Dylan's cheek. "Hi twinnies"

_"Gina."_ Tommy merely returned as Mollie didn't say anything.

"Well at least _one_ of them acknowledged me." she said with a smile and a shrug. She was far too impressed with this suite to care.

"Hector this is Gina, Hector is the hotel manager." Dylan introduced as they shook hands.

"Nice to meet you" Gina said.

"You too." Hector said as Gina continued to look around the suite. "Just how I remember it..." Hector said with a knowing smile as he turned and left the room.

Dylan followed Gina into the bedroom and found her sprawled out on the bed with a huge smile on her face.

"Maybe this whole Donna kicking me out thing isn't sure a bad deal..." she said with a giggle.

Dylan frowned, "Donna kicked you out?"

"Yeah, long story, no point getting in to it..." she said as she sat up on her knees and pulled Dylan closer to her, kissing down his neck.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I am forgetting about everything right now. Want to help?" she said as she smirked.

Dylan groaned, "I can't I have to take the twins to school, it's their first day of kindergarten, can't be late."

"Oh how exciting..."

"And then I have to meet Donna at the store" he added.

Gina raised an eyebrow, "But do you have to go _right_ now?" she said, trying to tempt him.

Dylan raised an eyebrow, "my kids are right there" he said. They could literally see them sitting on the sofa from the bedroom, now really wasn't the time.

"We could easily get rid of them-"

"Two 5-year-olds? I don't think so" he said with a little laugh before backing away. "Grab your bags twinnies, we gotta go" he said as they jumped off the sofa and went into their rooms to lift their bags.

Gina sulked back down on to the bed. It appeared that nothing was going to go right for her any time soon.

* * *

Mollie and Tommy stood outside of their new school with wide eyes while Dylan and Kelly stood behind them. The normally bubbly children felt a little out of their depth today as they began kindergarten. Dylan and Kelly felt a little out of their depth too. Their babies were growing up, though they knew that no matter what, they'd always be their babies and it was natural for them to feel a little emotional about the whole thing.

"Do we have to?" Mollie asked as she and Tommy continued to stare at the building in front of them.

"Oh come on, you guys are going to _love_ kindergarten." Dylan insisted.

Tommy shook his head, "I don't think so..."

"You know, I met your dad in kindergarten" Kelly told them as they turned around to look at their parents.

"Yeah, she gave me half her cookie at lunch time and we've been best friends ever since." Dylan said as he smiled at Kelly.

"Really?" Tommy asked quietly.

Dylan nodded, "Really."

"So... we could meet our best friend too?" Mollie asked. Hoping that's what her parents meant by telling this story.

"Definitely. And the good thing is that even if you don't, you have a ready-made best friend in each other." Kelly reminded them as the twins looked at each other.

"Promise me you won't abandon me Mollie?" Tommy asked.

"Of course I won't. Even if I wanted to you wouldn't let me..."

Kelly and Dylan held back their smirks, "That's very sweet Mollie, now come on, let's go." Kelly said as their twins took their parents hands and went inside, ready to start their school careers. Dylan briefly glanced over at Kelly. He couldn't only imagine what a 5 year old Dylan would say if he told him he would be standing here, 20 years later, taking his children with Kelly Taylor into the very same kindergarten. It was like something out of a romance novel, yet it was real life. While things were by no means perfect between them, he was incredibly grateful they had their family and incredibly grateful they could share in special moments like this.

* * *

That Saturday, the gang had arranged to spend some time together at the beach. It was a bid to bring some joy and normality back into Kelly's life since the shooting. Kelly promised she'd meet them all there, but she had yet to make an appearance. Instead, she was sitting in the Pit with Janet, who had just told her she was pregnant. To say she was freaking out about telling Steve was an understatement. This definitely wasn't planned and she didn't know what to do. Thankfully, Kelly was the perfect person to talk to about it.

"Everyone's life starts out one way or another. I'm one of the ones who can points out the moment it changed."

"Was it the shooting?" Janet asked cautiously.

Kelly shook her head, "No... I mean, this will probably always have an impact on my life but uh—the moment it truly changed was when I was 19 the doctor told me I was pregnant."

Janet nodded, realising where this was going. "How did you deal with it?"

"Well- I tried yoga at first and that didn't work and then—then I just told Dylan and I was _terrified_ to tell him because I didn't know how he would react... and I was right to be terrified because it wasn't the best reaction in the first place." she said with a little laugh. "But then he took a moment to wrap his head around it and he became so _calm_ and so at peace and it made me calmer than any yoga ever could. He calmed my _soul_ and made me realise that this was the best thing to ever happen to us." she told her with a little smile. The one thing that was keeping her sane over the past week was the fact that she had two pieces of magic to come to every night that made all the bad things disappear. No matter what happened in her life, no matter anything she did—she could always say she did at least one good thing, and that was raising them. "I don't know how Steve is going to react, but I do know that he is a good man and you should have faith in him." she encouraged. If Dylan could be a great father then she had no doubt Steve could be one too.

After her talk with Janet, Kelly soon realised that sitting around on her own wasn't going to do her any good. She made her way down to the beach and smiled as she saw her friends who had become her family. They ate some food, messed around with the twinnies and eventually sat round the fire making smores. Kelly cuddled on to Tommy tightly and listened to Mollie as she told everybody about her new best friend Johnny that she'd met in kindergarten and how they were going to be friends forever like her mom and dad were. Kelly watched as Dylan looked less than thrilled at that thought as he pulled Mollie closer into his chest as if he was trying to protect her. That would be an interesting ride to see—_Dylan and Kelly 2.0._

Kelly soon realised that _this_ was what mattered. She couldn't dwell on the past. She didn't expect to instantly get over the whole situation, but she knew she could focus on her friends and family and if she could, stay in this moment for as long as possible.

* * *

Well Kelly tried to get back to normal, Janet and Steve were trying to come to terms with _their_ new normal. Janet finally told Steve she was pregnant and he had no idea what to do. He called an emergency meeting with the boys in Dylan's suite and to say they were unhelpful would have been an understatement. They somehow managed to confused him more about the issue and David used the opportunity to take some ill-placed digs at Dylan.

"You know what Steve, don't step into this kid's life if you're going to resent it, you won't be doing anybody any favours... right Dylan?" David spat as the other stood awkwardly and Dylan clenched his jaw. Was he _seriously_ trying to call him a bad father? Dylan was many things, but a bad dad was not one of them.

"I really don't think you want to be commenting on my relationship with my kids David, especially when it happens to be a very good one-"

"Let me just cut you off before you say something stupid. He's 25, he doesn't have your millions, he's working 12 hours a day trying to make something of himself so compared to his responsibilities Dylan—_you have none._" he quipped.

Dylan ignored David and chose to address Steve directly on the matter instead, "Money doesn't make you a good father. It actually has the potential to make you a really crappy one, so you've already got one less obstacle than me." he said. Dylan made a deliberate point of not trying to spoil his kids. He wanted them to know that he would always be there and he would never just throw money and material possessions at them. "Steve, your dad wasn't around when you were born. Don't make the same mistake this time round. Jumping into the unknown isn't always a bad thing. I couldn't imagine my life without Mollie and Tommy. They were my reasons to keep going when everything else in my life was telling me not to. So... think about the good that could come of this, not the bad." he advised as David continued to sulk in his arm chair.

* * *

For the rest of the day, Dylan tried not to let what David said get to him. He knew he wasn't a bad father and he'd quickly pushed those thoughts out of his head, but there was something else that David said that was playing on his mind. He told Dylan that he had no responsibilities. Implying that he was going nowhere in life. While he was stewing in his thoughts, Dylan ran into a girl he used to know. Her name was Lucy and she lived in the hotel when he was a teenager and she was around 10 years old. Like him, Lucy didn't have much parental supervision and by the looks of things her life was heading in the same direction that Dylan's was. Yet, for some reason, this girl looked up to Dylan. She recalled how she used to watch as he sneaked out at night or how he always snuck up the roof with his friends.

_"You used to go up there with uh—what was she called—Kelly Taylor! My god, she was a goddess, I wanted to be like her even more than I wanted to be like you."_ Lucy had told him with a little laugh.

Dylan couldn't help but smile. He remembered he used to sneak up to the roof all the time with Kelly. They would eat and mess around and just laugh about anything and everything. He wished life could be as simple as it was then.

_"Yeah, she is certainly something..."_ he replied.

Lucy could see the glimmer in his eye when he spoke about her and she smiled softly. _"Do you still go up there with her?"_ she asked hopefully.

Dylan gulped, "_Not in a long time._" he replied.

Dylan immediately thought that it was a real tragedy that they hadn't done that in so long. So, he called her up and asked her to meet him on the roof that night. As he stood at the edge overlooking the city, Kelly walked over to him, briefly looking into the pool and smirking at the rather uh—_unsavoury_ things they had done in there.

"It has been a long time since I snuck onto this roof with you" she said, causing him to jump slightly as she stood beside him and looked over the edge.

"Yeah. I figured we could use a trip. For old time's sake." he reasoned with a shrug and a smirk.

Kelly returned his smile and then took in the view, "I forgot how beautiful the view is from up here... are you ok?" she asked, seeing that he looked a little lost.

"Yeah, I've just had a lot on my mind recently... I'm thinking it's about time I stopped dicking around and made something of my life." he told her.

"You're talking as if you have nothing."

"I have a lot that I don't deserve."

"I think the key to making something of yourself is to stop being so _hard_ on yourself in the first place." she advised. "You're one of the smartest people I know, you could do whatever you set your mind to." she said as she pulled her cardigan around her.

"I'm thinking about going back to college" he confessed.

Kelly turned and smiled at him, "Dylan, that's great. I'm really proud of you." she said sincerely.

Dylan snickered, "Maybe save the pride until I get the diploma." he suggested. "Are you doing better?" he asked quietly, not sure how she would answer.

"I'm getting there... I'm struggling with _intimacy_ right now. I don't really mind being touched by the kids or Donna but—every time Matt comes near my I'm _paralysed_ with fear." she confessed. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, she just feared intimacy in general and as a result, she was pushing him away.

"He would never hurt you" Dylan reminded her.

"I know. But it doesn't make it any less scary."

Dylan contemplated what to say next. He could just say it would get better in time but she'd probably heard that enough. So, instead, he took a more active approach and hoped this would help her. He stepped back onto the decking a little as Kelly turned around to see what he was going. He held out his hand and smiled softly.

"Want to dance?" he asked as Kelly raised her eyebrow.

_"Here?"_

"It's not a one time offer, it can wait." he said, not wanting to press her to be close to someone when she didn't want to be.

"There's no music."

"This isn't about the music. It's about learning to be close to someone." he told her as Kelly nodded, realising what he was doing.

Kelly thought about it for a few seconds before she hesitantly put her hand in his and walked towards him. She placed her other hand on his shoulder while he rested his hand on the small of her back and they swayed gently. Their heads eventually fell forward as their stance became more like a hug, their cheeks resting side by side and their eyes closed. It was the easiest thing in the world to do this with each other. Nothing felt more comfortable and secure. She didn't have any fears when she was in his arms. She didn't have a care in the world.

"Why is this so much easier than with Matt?" she asked quietly.

"Because you trust me. You've trusted me your whole life."

Kelly moved her head and put her hand on the back of his neck, before resting her forehead against his. They swayed gently for a few more moments before they came to a standstill and just stood in each other's embrace for a few moments. All Kelly wanted was those few moments of peace.

"I should go" she whispered.

Dylan nodded his head, "Probably..." he reluctantly agreed as she slowly slipped away from him once more.


	50. Part of Me

_Some cute little DK friendship in this chapter. Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Fifty- Part of Me

A few weeks later, Dylan started to make good on sorting out his life. He tried to enroll back in CU, but it was proving a little more difficult than he anticipated. They were pretty unwilling to accept him at this stage and he felt like he was out of options. He had promised himself, however, that he wouldn't give up easily.

Kelly on the other hand had been doing better. Every day since the shooting was a little easier and she was getting better at the intimacy thing. Dylan's talk about direction though got her thinking. As she and Donna prepared to reopen the store, Kelly couldn't help but think that this wasn't what she was supposed to be doing. This was Donna's dream that she helped make into a reality, but it wasn't hers. She had no idea what her dream was exactly, but she hoped it would all become clearer soon.

She arrived at the After Dark one evening and walked into David's radio booth to talk.

"Hey sis, how you doing?" he asked as she sat beside him.

"Well I've pulled my 4th all-nighter this week. It started with writing Dylan's college letter of recommendation and then it all went down hill from there." she told him with a little laugh.

David laughed, "Dylan's going to college?"

"Yeah, he wants to but CU rejected his application." Kelly told him sadly. She was really hopeful for Dylan and at the stage, she would do anything to help him get in to CU- even going down there and begging them to let him in was on her list.

"Oh, let me guess, he did a half-assed job and tried to make them feel like they owed him a spot?" David said bitterly.

Kelly raised an eyebrow, "David. Come on." she warned. This whole feud between them had gotten completely out of hand—especially considering that it started over _Gina_ of all people.

"What? He's a screw up. He wastes _everyone's_ time and now he's wasting yours _yet again_. Am I wrong?"

"Yes, you are very wrong. Are you really going to fall out with Dylan over _Gina?"_ she asked in disbelief. David and Dylan had known each other for years, it just wasn't right.

"I asked him to stay away but he seems to have a nasty habit of lurking around his exes. He did it with Gina and he did it with you-"

"Hold on, that is not fair, we had two babies to look after and he was also my best friend before we got together. That's not something that can just disappear over night." Kelly reasoned.

"Stop lying to yourself Kel-"

"Yeah Kel, stop lying to yourself." Dylan said as he appeared at the door. "Your glasses are in the car." he told Kelly. The whole reason she stopped by was because she needed them for the opening.

"David, you need to apologise." Kelly told him sternly.

"For_ what?_ Telling the truth?" David asked, not bothering to turn around and look at Dylan.

Dylan didn't say anything, instead, briefly glanced at Kelly before leaving the booth and heading home. The last place he wanted to be right now was work. He made his way back to the hotel and relieved the babysitter. He poked his head through Tommy and Mollie's door and saw that they were fast asleep. He quietly closed over the door and went to pour himself a drink when he heard a knock at the door. He opened it and was surprised to see Kelly on the other side.

"Hi" she said as she rocked on her heels.

"Hi... the twins are asleep" he said, assuming that's why she was here.

"I actually wanted to talk to you." she said as he moved away from the door and let her in.

"What's up?" he asked, closing the door behind her.

"It's about what David said earlier. About you being a screw up and wasting everyone's time."

Dylan grimaced, "I really do _not_ want to talk about that..." he said as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Well we're going to because I can't stand back and let you think that that is true. You know me Dylan, probably better than anybody else in the world and you know that if I don't think something is worth it, then I won't give it the time of day. _You are worth it_." she insisted as Dylan looked anywhere but into her eyes. "You are charming and you are generous and when you open your heart to someone—you love_ immensely_. All you have to do is look in your children's eyes to see it."

"Two good things in my life does not account for all the screw ups." He said. In his mind, Mollie and Tommy were pretty much the only thing he got right.

"Yeah but that doesn't make _you_ a screw up." she insisted as Dylan shook his head, not convinced. "Do you remember way back in senior year, we went to the planetarium and we were sitting outside and I said to you that it really sucks when you screw up a few times and that's all people think you are and all that you will ever be. There's no opportunity to change. You proved that wrong time and time again. You are not a screw up. You're trying to find your way—just like the rest of us."

Dylan was taken aback by Kelly's words and that memory. While he had _royally_ screwed up by the end of that night, he still cherished that moment. It was the moment he realised that everything that had happened was all worth it—because he finally got to be with her.

Right now, he was incredibly grateful that Kelly had held on to those words and that she had grown with them. She had changed, proving that it was possible and Dylan knew that he could do it too. He'd done it before, but he knew the next time would be the charm.

* * *

In an unexpected turn of events, _David_ made a plea on Dylan's behalf at CU and they finally accepted him. Dylan was shocked, he knew this was progress, but it still didn't stop David from giving him the cold shoulder. Dylan figured it would probably take a lot for him to considering giving him the time of day.

In other news, Gina had been taking full advantage of Dylan's living situation. Considering Donna and Kelly kicked her out, she didn't really have much of a choice anyway, but she certainly wasn't complaining. Unfortunately for her, Dylan was starting to complain. He was getting a little fed up with her spending his money on room service and they were practically on top of each other and he needed his space otherwise his head might explode.

_"You're a freaking millionaire, why is money a concern?" _Gina had demanded to know.

_"It will be a concern if you keep throwing it away and I would like to send my kids to college one day..."_

_"Oh give it up Dylan."_

She was just as frustrated with him as he was with her. She was also frustrated with herself for thinking that he could ever change. She drunkingly expressed her problems to David that night who lately, wasn't about holding back, so he hit her with some home truths.

_"Gina, there are just three people on the entire planet that Dylan would do absolutely anything for. They go by the names Mollie McKay, Tommy McKay and-"_

_"Don't say it."_

_"Kelly Taylor. It's about damn time you accept that."_

David also didn't hesitate to air Dylan's dirty laundry on the radio.

_"Women love jerks. Take my friend Doug for example. He steals this girl away from his roommate, asks her to move in, she says yes, he gets sick of her, kicks her out and she loves him more than ever. He wants service with a smile and guess what? She gives it to him."_

David's words put Dylan in a terrible mood for the rest of the week, along with Gina's attitude. All he wanted was a little bit of space and a little bit of peace—was that really too much to ask for? The following evening, Dylan sat in his living room with Mollie and Tommy watching cartoons. The door opened and Kelly appeared from behind it. She came into the room and sulked down beside Dylan.

Dylan looked her up and down, "You look like you've had as rough a week as me."

"Well it hasn't been the best but at least my personal business wasn't broadcasted over the radio." she said as Dylan groaned. "Hi twinnies."

"Hi mom!"

"I think that's enough cartoons guys, go get ready for bed." Dylan said as he turned off the TV.

"But dad-"

"No arguing, bed,_ now_." he said sternly as they sulked into their room.

"Wow, mean dad mode..." Kelly commented with a click of her tongue. Normally she played the role of bad cop.

"I can't listen to anymore cartoons..." he grumbled.

"Are things with Gina really that bad?" Kelly asked. She only knew they were bad from David blabbering about it over the radio.

"I asked her to move out and now she thinks I hate her." Dylan succinctly summarised. He really couldn't get into it all right now.

Kelly rolled her eyes, "Well that sounds like Gina, she is really into the dramatics..."

"I can't win with her." he said with a sigh.

Kelly laughed, "Did you really expect her to be happy with you kicking her out?" she asked in disbelief. While she wasn't a fan of the Gina show, she could understand why she was feeling a little crappy.

Dylan sighed, "I guess not... I just needed a little _peace_." he confessed.

"Well, maybe Gina should learn that nothing lasts forever..."

"Alright little miss cynic." he said as he nudged her side. "You've pulled that line on me before."

Kelly turned to look at him, _"When?"_

"The day Brenda came back from Paris, we talked on the beach, you said nothing lasts forever." he reminded her.

"And I was right... I _hate_ that I was right..." she said as she turned back to staring out in front of her.

"Why? You miss me?" he asked with a smirk and a quirked eyebrow.

Kelly rolled her eyes and smiled sarcastically at Dylan, "How could I miss you when you're around to _bother_ me every day?" she joked.

Dylan mockingly put his hand over his heart, "_Ouch._.."

"... Matt said he doesn't believe in forever." Kelly told him as Dylan finally understood her mood.

"Ouch again..."

"Am I wrong to be mad?" she asked, knowing that Dylan was the only person who could tell her how it is.

"It's bound to hurt when your boyfriend doesn't see a future." he said with a shrug.

"Do you think he's right?" she asked this time.

Dylan didn't hesitate to answer, "No I don't. I think when you've found the right person, you'll realise that forever isn't long enough." Dylan knew first-hand how it felt when forever disappeared.

Kelly was surprised by his optimistic answer considering he was a pessimist at every available opportunity. "I agree." she said quietly.

"I'm sure Matt will see it that way someday." Dylan encouraged, not really knowing if that was true or not.

"I just hate that he's _expecting_ to be unhappy. It's making_ me_ expect it too and I don't want that to be looming over our relationship." she confessed. Part of her couldn't quite believe she was sitting here talking about her relationship problems with _Dylan_ of all people. This was the sort of stuff they would have talked about pre-senior year—but not now. She was also kind of _glad_ that they could do this. That they could have this friendship without the threat of it exploding into something else.

"You shouldn't have to, it's no way to live... so don't let it loom. Prove him wrong." Dylan told her as Kelly nodded her head, having no idea how she could do that.

* * *

While Dylan got stuck into college, another venture dropped on his lap. He got involved in the local community centre. He donated some money to keep the children's programme open to benefit working parents who needed the help. The manager even encouraged Dylan to stick around and help out, thinking they could use a generous guy around here.

_"I don't think so, the only kids that like me are my own and even that is touch and go some days..."_ Dylan had joked, but Andrew was insistent that he at least gave it a chance.

In other news, Matt had tried convincing Kelly to move in with him. He'd already found a great place that meant Mollie and Tommy could even have their own bedrooms, but Kelly wasn't sure. She liked her life the way it was and she was scared to mess with it, even though she knew she'd have to move on eventually.

_"I've done things very out of sync. I already have two kids and I think what scares me the most is changing their world. Being with me isn't just being with me. You're taking on my two little monsters and they have a weird enough upbringing as it is and I feel like their lives are this weird limbo, especially considering their dad doesn't have a house anymore and there's always been roommates. They're only 5 years old and they've had a lot of disruptions. I want to know that they're comfortable before I make a move."_

Kelly felt a little guilty that she had used her kids as a justification to say no. She knew they would adapt to a new living situation pretty quickly, but she just wasn't ready for it herself. She wasn't ready to change her world but she didn't want Matt to think that she didn't want him. So, she made an excuse and he seemed to buy it, but she figured the issue would come up again in the near future.

* * *

While all this was going on in Kelly and Dylan's lives, Janet and Steve had been watching and taking everything in. They were thinking about who they wanted to ask to be godparents to their baby and Dylan's change in attitude and Kelly's overall care and compassion made them the front runners. They had called them to the Pit one Friday morning to gage how keen they would be to take on the roll.

"So, what's the big news?" Kelly asked as she and Dylan sat opposite Steve and Janet.

"My guess is twins" Dylan said with a smirk. He remembered all too well coming into the Pit and telling their friends they were having twins almost 6 years ago.

Steve's face fell, "Don't even joke."

"Hey, twins are a blessing..." Kelly warned.

"It's a _miracle_ that both your kids are angels." Steve told her.

Kelly scoffed, "I wouldn't be so sure about that. I caught Mollie covering Tommy's pillow in _shaving foam_ the other night. _Zero_ guesses who is to blame for this pranking phase..." she said as she looked at Dylan. She had heard all about his little trick on the sons of one of the maids at the Bellage and how he roped Mollie in to help him.

Dylan held his hands up, "That one was all her idea... I just supplied the shaving foam." he said with a smirk as Kelly smacked his arm with the back of her hand.

Janet and Steve smirked before Janet cleared her throat to tell them their news. "So, Steve and I have been thinking a lot about who we want the baby's godparents to be."

"We want two people who embody integrity, honesty, loyalty... we don't know anybody like that-" Steve joked.

Janet rolled her eyes and interrupted, "We think you guys would be great."

Dylan raised his eyebrows, "_Really?_ This isn't just because we've managed to keep two kids alive for 5 years is it?"

"No, that's not just it." Janet insisted, "My godmother saved my life on more than one occasion-"

"No pressure."

"- my aunt Lynn. There were so many times when it was easier to go to her with my problems than my parents. She really made a big difference."

"We want someone like that for our kid."

Kelly reached over the table and placed her hand on Janet with a smile, "This is an honour."

"It's a lot to ask, I know, especially considering you already have Tommy and Mollie to think about." Steve told them.

"Which is why we want you to come up to Ojai with us tomorrow and hear more about it. We're going to talk to my pastor about the wedding ceremony and we thought the four of us could ride up together."

"Country air, a bit of spiritual guidance..." Dylan said, weighing up his decision to go or not.

Janet sighed, "We sound like freaks don't we? Well, we promise we won't try and sell you any generic cleaning products."

"Oh! And the best part is we get to try out the new Sousna-Sanders minivan." Steve said with a fake smile plastered over his face.

Dylan leaned forward, "I'm sorry, did you just say _minivan?_" Steve Sanders and a mini-van? He just couldn't picture it. He was far too in love with his Corvette.

"Yeah and I'm happy about it. Chipper even."

"Chipper?"

"Yeah. _Chipper._" Steve said through his teeth. "Want to come check it out at the shop?"

"... sure." Dylan said with a tight-lipped smile. One thing he had _refused_ to invest in when he became a father was a minivan. He'd settled for a range rover instead considering he had the money to do so.

"We will see you two later." Steve said before he and Dylan left the table.

"Do you really think he's going to let go of his corvette?" Kelly asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I wouldn't be surprised if tears were shed over the fact..." Janet told her as Kelly laughed lightly. This would be interesting.

* * *

Dylan stood with Steve in the car shop watching as he looked completely miserable.

"So this is chipper, huh?" Dylan asked as Steve sighed.

"Yeah... I guess I'm going through the stages. Mourning, grief-"

"Denial?" Dylan asked.

"Yeah. _Big time_."

"Sort of like you're denying the more NC-17 moments of my life when you chose me to be the godfather?" Dylan questioned.

"Oh you mean the guns and the drugs? Trust me, your fallibilities were duly noted, _especially_ by me."

"So, this was Janet's idea?

"She thinks your dependable." Steve said with a nod. "And I looked past the NC-17 moments to the two angelic blue eyes twins you raised and how pretty damn special they are."

"It was all Kelly-"

"It was _mostly_ Kelly. But there is a spark in their eyes that could only come from you. They _adore_ you. You've really stepped up the past couple of years and even when you weren't here, there wasn't anything you wouldn't do for them and if they needed you, you were right there." Steve told him. "I think my kid would be lucky to have you in their corner." he insisted as he patted Dylan on the shoulder before walking over to his new car.

* * *

When Gina caught wind of the fact Dylan was going to be a godparent with Kelly, she wasn't happy. To her it was like every road was leading Dylan back to Kelly and she couldn't stand it anymore. She asked him not to do it, but he refused.

_"Kelly is the ice queen and Dylan's idea of responsibility is making sure is surfboard is waxed!"_ she had complained to David.

David frowned, _"I'm sorry have you met Mollie and Tommy McKay by any chance? 5 years old, abut yay high, bright blue eyes, Mollie has this crazy, curly blonde hair, and Tommy has already mastered Dylan's smolder, really nice kids who call Dylan and Kelly by mom and dad—that kind of screams responsibility to me..."_ he was quick to point out.

This fact certainly didn't make Gina any less mad about the whole thing. It's like she refused to accept that no matter what, Kelly and Dylan would always be a huge part of each other's lives.

Sometimes, even Kelly and Dylan struggled to come to terms with the fact that they would be whatever they were for the rest of their lives and it was something that the pastor in Ojai had made them think about. As they strolled through the garden that afternoon, they had a lot to think about.

"Guys, be careful, somebody is going to break a bone!" Kelly called out to Tommy and Mollie are they ran ahead of them. They figured a little trip to Ojai was the perfect reason to spend some time together as a family. They hadn't done something like this in a while.

"That's all part of being a kid" Dylan said as he nudged her.

"Well I don't really fancy taking a trip to the ER this afternoon..." she reasoned. "You know, I thought Pastor Neil was great." she said, changing the subject.

"He's a basic man of the cloth. He and I have different ideas about how the world works..." Dylan replied.

"What do you mean different ideas?"

"Call me cynical but I think his point of view is a little-"

"Romantic?" she asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Not what I was going to say but you get the idea." he said with a shrug. "I liked what he said about us though."

"What did he say about us?"

"That we'd be linked for life." he said with a smirk. That's how Pastor Neil said Steve and Janet's baby would think of them and he really liked the idea.

Kelly looked at him returning his smirk, "We already are linked for life." Baby Sousna-Sanders was not the only kid who would link them together. They would always be mom and dad to their twinnies.

"Yeah... but it's nice to hear it from someone else." he replied as Kelly merely looked at her feet. "Have you ever seen the pink moment?"

"No, what's that?"

"It's what they call the sunset up here. It's something to do with the light and the clouds. There's some scientific explanation about the light refracting but the bottom line is, everything goes pink for about two minutes." he explained.

"Sounds amazing." she said sincerely. Something they had both shared over the years was their love for creation. Between the stars at Paradise Cove and the Santa Ana Winds, Kelly was more than happy to add another thing their list of experiences. "Have you ever seen it?"

Dylan nodded, "Yeah... back when I was less cynical."

"Maybe you're not cynical, maybe you're just unhappy."

Dylan shrugged, "Maybe both."

Kelly frowned, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm alright." he told her and he placed his hand briefly on her arm. "Tommy, Mols, come here." he called as they ran over to their parents. "What do you think of Ojai?"

"I think we should live here" Mollie said with a smile.

"No way Mollie, there's no beach." Tommy reasoned.

"But it's soooo pretty! Mom, we need more flowers at our house." Mollie said as she admired the beautiful gardens here.

Kelly giggled, "Ok honey, we'll go get some more flowers tomorrow."

"I also like that we're here together. We should do this more often." Mollie told them.

"I think we should too" Dylan said he looked at Kelly.

"Are you guys really going to be godparents to Uncle Steve and Aunt Janet's baby?" Tommy asked.

Dylan nodded, "Yeah bud, we are."

"So... we're going to have like a brother or sister?" He asked, not really understanding what this meant.

"Not quite honey, more like a cousin." Kelly explained.

"But we're all one big happy family anyway, right?" Mollie questioned.

Dylan smiled, "Always" he said as he spotted the Sousna-Sanders minivan coming in their direction. He wrapped an arm around Tommy and Mollie and pulled their backs against him as Steve pulled up and rolled down the window.

"We're sorry we dragged you guys all the way up here but we're leaving." Janet announced.

"What's going on?" Kelly asked with a frown after seeing how tightly Steve was holding the steering wheel.

"Steve's cheating on me... _with his car_." Janet told them with an eye roll.

"She sold my car! It's not even hers to sell and she sells my car!"

"He cried when I told him." Janet informed them as Dylan and Kelly tried to contain their laughter at the ridiculousness of the situation.

"Oh _please!_"

"You know this sounds stupid, right?" Dylan questioned.

"After all you guys have been through over the past few months you're fighting over a car?" Kelly questioned.

"It's not just a car—it's a way of life for me!" Steve reasoned.

"Honestly, couldn't you just _gag?"_

"I'll tell you what, why don't you two love birds just go on ahead, we'll rent a car and come back later." Dylan told them, quickly realising that this car journey home was not one they wanted to be a part of.

"Yeah, we promised these two a family day out so we're going to stay and check out the sun set" Kelly said as she ran her hand over Tommy's head.

"Are you sure? Cause there's plenty of room!" Steve quipped about his new minivan.

Tommy shook his head, "So sure..." The _last_ thing he wanted to listen to was their fighting.

* * *

_"This feels good. You, me, Mollie, Tommy, little bottles of rum and string cheese..."_

Just before Kelly and Dylan left to go watch the sunset, Gina had come bursting through the door and was entirely unimpressed to see them hugging. She had gotten insecure considering their track record on little trips away and went down there as soon as she could. Dylan was pretty unimpressed by her arrival, but at the same time he couldn't blame her. Kelly was right, being there together with their kids had felt good and right. For a brief moment in time, it felt like all their problems had disappeared and they could just be a family.

Something Pastor Neil had said to Dylan earlier that day was also playing on his mind. Dylan had told him how the last time he was with Antonia and it felt a little strange that his life had looked so different not too long ago. He had decided his future and it was gone in an instant.

_"But now you're here with Kelly, who obviously loves you very much."_

_"Why? Because we have two kids together?"_

_"No. Because she loves you. It's in the eyes."_

_It was in Kelly's eyes that she loved him_. Part of Dylan truly believed that. He knew they would always be a part of each other and that the love they shared would never die. It _couldn't_ die no matter how hard they tried to erase it. But he also saw her feelings for Matt. He also saw what he meant to her and he wasn't prepared to get in the way of that. He knew it sounded arrogant, but he knew he just had to be patient. He knew that if they were meant to be, she would come back to him, so that's what he decided to do. He decided to wait. He decided to prove that he was the man she always knew he was. He decided to prove that he was the only one for her—no matter how long it took.


	51. Serious Signs

_Weddings, thanksgiving, baby talk and a few confessions..._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Fifty-One- Serious Signs 

A few weeks after their trip to Ojai, Steve and Janet decided to plan a little surprise for their friends. They sent them on a scavenger hunt one Saturday morning for a yet to be revealed reason and everyone was getting into it. Well—_almost_ everyone. In an unsurprising turn of events, Gina was completely pissed off at Dylan. She had been trying so hard to get him to love her but he just wouldn't, or as everyone else saw it- _couldn't._

_"Do you know my favourite colour Dylan? Or the name of my first boyfriend? Because I know everything about you because I ask and then I hang on your every word. See, the difference between me and you is that I'm in love with you... and you will never love me back."_

Since Gina was in such a foul mood with him, Dylan was also in a foul mood. Not to mention the fact that he ended up getting into a fight with some men outside of a bar over the fact that Andrew, the community worker who had been trying to recruit him, was gay. After Gina switched teams to go check on a stray dog with David, Kelly and Donna soon jumped in the car with Dylan and instantly picked up on the fact that something was wrong between them.

"Why do you have brace on your wrist?" Donna asked as she sat squished in between Mollie and Tommy's car seats in the back.

"Let's just say I had a bad day yesterday and I don't really feel like a scavenger hunt." Dylan grumbled.

"Yeah, we noticed..."

"And apparently so did Gina." Kelly piped in. "Which is a pity because if you try it's actually more fun. Across the board." she told him, referring to his relationship. Why bother being in one if you weren't even going to try to make the other person feel wanted?

"Relationships too." Donna added, as if the point wasn't already clear.

"So now you two are concerned about Gina?"

"If you can't spend an hour in a car together then what are you two doing?" Donna questioned.

"Having fun, it's enough for me." Dylan justified.

"Dylan, you know what it's like to be with the right person. I'm surprised you'd settle for anything less." Kelly said.

"What if more isn't available?" Dylan questioned without skipping a beat as he turned and looked at Kelly who didn't know what to say.

Donna also remained silent in the back seat, wishing she could escape this unexpectedly intimate moment between them. She had always noticed how Dylan looked at Kelly. She'd noticed it when they were little kids and she'd noticed it now. The look he had in his eyes when he saw her never changed. Donna didn't need any more confirmation in that moment to know that Dylan was biding his time. _He was waiting for Kelly._

* * *

After finally completing their tasks, the gang ended up in the park that evening, with no apparent clues as to why they were there. Eventually, the whole pathway lit up with fairy lights and Janet and Steve's pastor appeared in the canopy. They soon enough realised that Janet and Steve were about to get married, right here.

"Oh my god Dylan, look" Kelly said as she grabbed Dylan's arm and they turned around to see Mollie and Tommy walking down the path with bright smiles on their faces as flower girl and ringer bearer.

Dylan and Kelly couldn't help but smile widely at their babies. They looked so ridiculously cute and proud of themselves as they made their way to the top. They were also sure to discreetly wave at their parents once they got there. Dylan then looked at Kelly who just looked so joyful at the sight of her kids. He felt gratitude that he was able to give them to her and she to him. They made everything worthwhile. They made everything seem ok.

"She's a beautiful bride isn't she?" Kelly had whispered to him as they watched Janet join hands with Steve at the front.

"She doesn't hold a candle to you on your wedding day." he replied, leaving Kelly completely stunned.

* * *

Dylan's words had been playing on Kelly's mind for the rest of the night. She'd _barely_ paid attention to anything that went on. Dylan had seen her in her wedding gown? But there were no photos of her? And he wasn't there? She drove to his suite and confronted him about it and he explained to her that he had been there after all.

_"Your hair was up. It was curly. I always thought you should have left it down. Mollie was wearing this white dress with a pale pink ribbon tied round the middle and white forget me nots in her hair. Tommy had this little tux on and pink bow tie. I flew in from Europe at the last minute and I was coming up the path at the back of the church and I saw you and—it hit me. You were going to marry someone else. You were going to marry my best friend and I—I didn't want to see that. I couldn't see that. So, I left."_

Dylan hadn't planned on turning up at the wedding. He was wallowing in self-pity in London while he was visiting Brenda and she told him to get his act together and get to LA. It was clearly torture for him. He was reluctant, however, but Brenda practically pushed him on to the plane. She knew he'd only regret not going. Even as just Kelly's best friend, he would look back and wish he was there.

When he got there, he watched from afar and noticed that Kelly looked a little lost. He had no idea that it had to do with him in that moment, but he figured that if he showed his face it would only make things worse for her. He hated seeing her looking so distant and he knew he was often the root of her problems, despite Kelly often trying to convince him he was the solution.

In the end, he just couldn't do it. He couldn't confuse her and he couldn't watch it either. So, he walked. He jumped on a plane to Hawaii and only a few days later he received a call from Kelly saying the wedding was off and she wanted Mollie and Tommy to spend a few weeks with him.

Dylan didn't really know what to think. Once the twins went back to LA he couldn't get his mind off Kelly. He'd spent all this time in Europe trying to move on and forget how much he loved her, but he couldn't and now he was in a position to go back to her. After all this time he would be right back to where he started.

This time, it was Iris who pushed him out the door.

"_Go._"

She had simply said and it was all Dylan needed to hear. He packed a bag and left, not sure what he was getting himself in to.

Kelly was stunned by his confession. While she had been toiling over her feelings for Dylan he had been right there. It was like her soul_ knew_ he was there and was sending her messages. She knew if she had have seen him, she probably would have crumbled right there and then.

Kelly soon left his suite in a daze, her heart was beating out of her chest. She couldn't believe he came and then he left. She also couldn't believe that he was only telling her this _now_ considering she told him a year ago that she didn't marry Brandon because of him. She figured they were both more afraid than they'd realised.

She considered what she would have done if the situation had have been reversed and she could either stay or walk away from Brenda and Dylan's wedding. She knew in an instant what she would do.

_She would walk._

* * *

Thanksgiving soon rolled around and everybody started making plans. Matt had offered to cook for Kelly, the twins, Jackie and Erin (since Jackie had yet again kicked Mel out after he spent the night at a strip club Noah and Gina organised.) Kelly was touched at the gesture and as they were discussing the arrangements, Dylan walked in with the twins for some breakfast.

"Hey smushies" Kelly greeted.

"Hi mom"

"Have you been to the hospital yet?" Kelly asked Dylan. Last night, Janet had gone into premature labour and given birth to baby girl. Unfortunately, she had to be put in a ventilator as she couldn't breathe on her own yet. Kelly and Dylan had been instantly transported back to when the twins were born. Tommy had spent 2 months in the NICU, Mollie had spent 3, and it was the scariest time of their lives. They were therefore determined to be there for Janet and Steve in whatever way they needed.

Dylan shook his head, "Not yet"

"Hey Dylan" Nat called behind the counter. "I got those 14 turkeys for Thursday."

"Thanks Nat, you're the man." Dylan said gratefully.

Kelly raised an eyebrow, "What's with all the birds?"

"Nat is going to help me feed some families down at the community center at thanksgiving. I thought Mollie and Tommy could help me before they have their dinner at presumably yours." Dylan said, they hadn't discussed their plans yet.

"Yeah, I'm cooking for Kelly and the twins and Jackie and Erin" Matt told him proudly.

"Good for you" Dylan said, his voice dripping with sarcasm at Matt's keenness.

Kelly held back an eye roll and started to press Dylan about this community centre thing, "Who roped you into this community centre thing?"

"Nobody" he said with a shrug.

Kelly was taken aback. She's never known Dylan to do something entirely unselfish for anyone other than her and Mollie and Tommy. "Nobody? You just decided to do it all by yourself?" she questioned, not completely buying it just yet.

Dylan shrugged, "it's thanksgiving, it seemed like the right thing to do."

"It's so cool down there mom, they all deserve a great thanksgiving." Mollie piped in. Dylan took the twins down there a few times a week to hang out with the other kids while he volunteered and they loved it. The people they had met were exceptionally kind and they always had a lot of fun.

"Well I am very proud of you for being so generous." Kelly said as she kissed Mollie's head. "All three of you" she said as she looked at Dylan who gave her a tight-lipped smile.

"Come on you two, let's get some pancakes" Dylan said as they rushed over to their favourite booth in the corner with him.

"Good for him." Matt said, mocking Dylan's previous words, but Kelly didn't even notice.

"Yeah..." she mumbled back. It appeared that Dylan really was serious about sorting out his life and giving back after all.

* * *

That afternoon, Dylan and Kelly took the twins down to the hospital to visit Janet and Steve. Mollie and Tommy were dying to see the baby but their parents told them she was too little for them to see right now, but they would soon.

"You should see my stomach, it's so different" Janet told Kelly.

"Oo, let me see..." Kelly said as Janet lifted up her top so she and Kelly could compare battle scars.

"Women are so different" Steve grumbled.

Dylan chuckled, "Where did you realise? Conception or birth?" he teased.

"You should have seen my stomach when these two munchkins were born." Kelly said as she winked at the twins. "I thought it would never go back to the way it was."

"Auntie Janet are you ok?" Mollie asked, concerned over seeing her in a hospital bed.

"Oh I'm ok Mols, just a little sore." Janet assured her.

"And our god sister?" Tommy asked as Janet and Steve raised their eyebrows. God sister?

"They didn't want to call her just a cousin of sorts, they felt she was much more important than that" Kelly explained as the adults all smiled.

"Your godsister is doing ok, I promise as soon as she is better, you can hold her" Janet told them as their faces beamed.

"Yes!" Mollie exclaimed excitedly as she clapped her hands, "Tommy this is _great_, it's definitely the closest thing we'll be getting to a new brother or sister any time soon..."

Kelly and Dylan stared at them with wide eyes, "You- you want another brother or sister?" Dylan asked with a little laugh, suddenly feeling a little hot under the collar.

"Yeah, we think it would be fun!" Tommy told them. Ever since Janet and Steve announced their pregnancy, Mollie and Tommy had been getting ideas.

Kelly chuckled awkwardly, "You'll maybe have to hold onto that dream for a little while longer..."

While Steve took Janet to the NICU, Kelly sat down on the bed with a sigh as Tommy and Mollie positioned themselves in the chair in the corner to discuss how they could persuade their parents to rethink the baby thing.

"I feel so useless." Kelly confessed. "Their baby is fighting for her life, my little sister sleeps with her hands over her ears so she doesn't have to hear her mom and dad fighting and our babies are living in an increasingly cramped apartment and there really isn't much I can do about any of those things." Kelly ranted. Kelly had accidentally walked in on a naked Noah the other day after he forgot to lock the bathroom door and she was freaking out that Tommy or Mollie could have been the victims. Tommy was already scarred when he walked in on a late night game of strip poker and saw Steve in all his glory.

"Why don't you come to the centre with us?" Dylan suggested. "Help us set up for thanksgiving."

"I don't have the energy" Kelly said, completely defeated by everything that was going on.

"People are hungry, we feed them, problem, solution. Makes you feel good. Plus it'll be a fun family night out for the Taylor-McKay clan." Dylan said as Tommy and Mollie came back over.

"Come on momma, it'll be fun, dad promised that I could be in charge of the potato mashing." Tommy said proudly.

The thought of her family having fun without her didn't sound too appealing to Kelly, so she was easily swayed to help out, "Suddenly that sounds pretty hard to resist."

* * *

That evening, Dylan, Kelly, Tommy and Mollie all stood in the kitchen of the Pit getting the food ready, talking and laughing away.

"And since he loved my mother and plucked chickens it made him a mother loving chicken plucker." Dylan joked around as the twins couldn't stop giggling at their father's antics and Kelly soon joined in.

_"I've got you under my skin..."_ Dylan started singing as Kelly felt the hairs on her arms stand on one end. She loved this song. This was _their_ song.

Kelly instantly started feeling guilty, but at the same time, she couldn't remove the smile from her face, "It's getting late, I should call Matt-"

_"I've got you deep in the heart of me-"_

"Do you have a cell phone?"

_"So deep in my heart-"_

"I left mine in the car-"

_"That you're a part of me..."_ he finished as Mollie and Tommy gave each other a knowing look.

"Mom, that's your song" Tommy reminded her.

Kelly raised an eyebrow, "_My_ song?"

"Yeah you play it all the time" Mollie agreed.

"And you sing it to us when we can't sleep" Tommy added.

Dylan chuckled and looked at Kelly with a smirk, "Really?"

"Really!" Mollie and Tommy said at the same time.

"Well twinnies, I think you'll find that that song is actually _our_ song." Dylan told them as he finished stuffing the last turkey.

Mollie smiled, "You guys have a song? That's so_ romantic..."_

"You are absolutely right Mollie." Dylan said as Kelly blushed, not knowing what to say. "We were 17 years old and Uncle Nat had just got a karaoke machine for the Pit—safe to say the idea was short lived." Dylan said with a grimace. "But before Nat got rid of it, I dragged your mom up on stage to sing with me and I picked this song and—that was the moment I knew."

"Knew what?" Tommy asked.

"That I was hopelessly in love with her and probably always would be." Dylan confessed as Kelly's heart continued to beat harder out of her chest. She remembered that moment as if it was yesterday. How could she ever forget the way he was looking at her? Like he was looking straight into her soul. "So, it became our song. I left it to her in our senior wills." he recalled as he looked directly at Kelly, but she looked straight down. She knew if she looked at him she might not be able to look away.

She looked over at the twins and saw they were looking at her with dreamy eyes, like they were waiting for her to say the same back. She felt a little giddy when she heard Dylan's confession about the moment he knew he loved her—because it was the exact same moment she knew she loved him too. She always felt guilty about saying that out loud considering he was with Brenda at the time, but it was the truth. She fell truly, deeply, madly in love with him in that moment.

Kelly shook her giddy thoughts out of her head and cleared her throat, "It is a great song... stop looking at me like that..." she said to the twins before turning to Dylan whose eyes were still burning into her._ "All three of you."_

Mollie shrugged, "We're just looking at you mom, no big conspiracy." she said sweetly.

"Yeah Kel. No big conspiracy" Dylan said with a smirk before they all started to laugh a little. "Is manual labour always this fun? Do you and Matt laugh like this?"

Mollie's eyes widened, "They don't-"

_"Mollie._" Kelly warned. "Maybe you and Tommy should go wash your hands?" she suggested.

Mollie moaned, "Do we have to?"

"Yes, _scram._" Kelly told them as they ran into the bathrooms. She and Dylan stood in silence for a few seconds before Kelly took over the potato mashing and spoke up, "You need to stop giving them any more reason to try and 'parent trap' us..." she joked.

"They don't need any encouragement from me." he replied. "If they're going to parent trap us, they're going to parent trap us—no matter what anyone says. But—do you and Matt really not laugh like this? _Bummer."_ he teased.

"You really don't know him very well, do you?" she questioned. It was a stupid question. Why _would_ he want to know the guy?

Dylan shrugged, "I'm just curious to see how it's done." Again—a stupid statement. He knew _exactly_ how it was done. He and Kelly did it better than anyone else.

"We don't claim to be role models..."

"Gina sure hated you." Dylan recalled. He figured that his latest break up with her was pretty final—especially considering she slept with David after Steve and Janet's wedding. Dylan was finally growing up and had finally stopped using her. He wasn't proud of how he treated her at all and he figured there wasn't much he could do to make it right, but he was learning from his mistakes. He was learning to not settle for anything less than what he had with Kelly.

"She didn't need to, I am no threat, I'm with Matt-" she said as she tried to blow her hair out of her face.

Dylan took his gloves off and moved her hair out of her face, delicately running his fingers over her cheek before lacing them through her hair. He used to play with her hair all the time when they were together and it always sent her to fantasy land. It was the most soothing yet oddly arousing thing to her.

"I'll be sure to tell her" he said sarcastically as Kelly lost herself in his touch. "But right now, we've got our own underlying problems, mostly mine..." He said as he inched forward, trying to control his urges to just turn her round and kiss her.

"Oh come on, you're getting your college degree, you're helping out at the community centre, you're stuffing turkeys in a completely repulsive yet selfless way and I'm pretty sure the twins are starting to like you more than me..." she joked as Dylan chuckled. "So, I'd say you're doing pretty great." she finished quietly. It was the first time she had ever really thought about all that Dylan was doing right now. She was so proud of him and the fact that he was letting the man she knew he was shine. It was like the old Dylan McKay was finally coming back to life after all this time.

Dylan gulped and looked at her longingly as she finally turned around and looked at him too. Dylan wanted to tell her that all this was happening because she believed in him and loved him... but he knew now wasn't the time. He swore in that moment, however, that he would one day tell her.

Kelly quickly looked away and cleared her throat again, "I uh—I heard Gina and David hooked up at Steve and Janet's wedding." she said cautiously. She guessed Dylan probably wouldn't care—or let on that he cared anyway. She did wonder what sort of hold Gina had over the men in her life.

"You know me, I don't do details very well..."

"The same night you admitted you'd flown in from Europe and then walked out on my wedding..." she added, wondering if he would be willing to talk about that bombshell.

Dylan let go of her hair and reached into his pocket and lifted out his cell phone, "Didn't you say you needed a cell phone?" That was something he _definitely_ wasn't ready to talk about yet.

* * *

After cleaning up and getting the food into the fridge, Dylan, Kelly and the twins made their way back to the apartment. They walked around the corner, laughing at some story Tommy was telling them and saw Matt standing there—not looking particularly impressed.

"Hey" Kelly greeted happily as she walked towards him.

"Hey, you're late." he said as he stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, I know, I tried calling I just—what happened to your key?" she asked, wondering why he was standing out on the porch.

"I let myself in, I just came out to get some air. Hi Mollie, Tommy" he greeted with a tight lipped smile. Matt and the twins got on fine, but they weren't exactly best friends.

"Hi Matt."

"Dylan" Matt said with a nod as they all walked inside.

"Wow, what's that smell?" Kelly asked with a smile as she walked into the kitchen and saw that Matt has been cooking for tomorrow.

"It's the stuffing on the stove, I thought we'd get some of these dishes out of the way for tomorrow." Matt told her.

"We spent all afternoon and night doing the same thing" Kelly told him as the phone started to ring. "Hello? Oh, hi mom" Kelly said down the line as she wandered in to the living room.

"I should get going." Dylan said, not really fancying standing and making small talk with matt. "Bye monsters" he said as he hugged and kissed them.

"Bye dad"

"Bye daddy, love you!"

"I love you too" he said as he let the go and left the apartment—with Matt on his tail.

"Once Jackie gets her on the phone you might not speak to her for the rest of the night..." Matt awkwardly joked as Dylan stopped and turned around.

"Yeah, just enjoy the wait..." he replied politely. Dylan could remember countless times that Jackie would call Kelly back in college and Dylan would do almost anything to completely distract her-- and it always worked like a charm.

"Why don't you fill me in on this thanksgiving thing?"

Dylan shrugged, "Kelly wanted to volunteer with the kids. I don't think it will get in the way of your dinner though. Come to think of it—you might really get a kick out of this."

"Maybe. I know Kelly loves to volunteer, but I didn't know it was your thing." Matt shot. "You seen Gina recently?"

"No. Why?" Dylan asked, really not wanting to talk about this with anyone let alone Matt.

Matt shrugged, "I spend a lot of time with her at the office and every time she hung up the phone with you, she'd go nuts. She was always looking for some sign that you were serious and committed."

Dylan shook his head, "I don't think that's ever going to happen." he freely admitted. No point sugar coating it now.

"Until now. Look at you—rich, single guy spending his holiday in the soup kitchen? Who says people can't change when they want to."

Dylan internally rolled his eyes. He hadn't changed—he'd just finally showing the man he was behind all the tragedy that damaged him.

"Your point being?" Dylan questioned, wondering where he was going with this.

"You're finally showing signs you're serious—_about Kelly_."

* * *

Matt's words played on Dylan's mind all night. Of course he was serious about Kelly, he'd always been serious about Kelly. It majorly freaked him out, but he was _so_ in love with her, no one could deny it. He did, however, feel a little bit guilty about the whole thing. He didn't want Kelly to just come running to him because he did a few good things. She wanted him to see her relationship with Matt through. He wanted her to be sure what she wanted and right now, as much as it irked him—she was seemingly happy with Matt. Who was he to screw that up when he maybe wasn't ready to take the leap himself?

So, in typically flakey Dylan style, he abandoned the community centre thanksgiving dinner. He made some excuse about picking his Aunt Lily up from the airport but Kelly knew full well he didn't have an Aunt Lily—Dylan just claimed he'd never told her about her before, but again, Kelly knew that was a lie. She didn't know what the real reason was. She could only assume that he was being selfish again and wanted to be left on his own. She was incredibly disappointed that he would let Mollie and Tommy down like that and then there was the fact she'd asked Jackie and Erin to help out as a favour for him.

_"We did this for you as a favour. With everything that's going on right now with Mel and Jackie we really don't need the added stress and what are Tommy and Mollie going to think if you bail? It's really not the best example-"_

_"I'll bribe them with hot fudge sundaes later."_

_"This isn't funny Dylan."_

_"What can I say Kelly?"_

_"... nothing that I would want to hear right now."_

As if Kelly couldn't be frustrated enough, she also had to listen to Jackie bash Mel infront of Erin all day. She put up with it for a while, but then she finally snapped.

"Mom, you have to stop doing that." Kelly warned.

"What?"

"Talking about Mel like that."

Jackie scoffed, "I'm not going to whitewash his short comings."

"Listen to me. He is a jerk. You know it and I know it, but it is your job to make sure that _she_ doesn't know it. Like it or not, he's her father."

Jackie shook her head, "You have no idea what this feels like."

"Are you kidding me? Dylan McKay frustrates the _hell_ out of me and he is a wonderful father but sometimes I have to really bite my tongue because my children adore him and rightfully so. No matter what he does to me, he is still their dad and they only get one of those."

Jackie sighed and put her hand on her hip. Dylan McKay was also one of the greatest frustrations of _her_ life too. "I have watched you clean up Dylan's messes for years and now it seems like you're doing it again and he's not even your boyfriend."

Kelly looked at her feet and grumbled, "Yeah, well... no more."

* * *

After finishing up at the community centre, everyone made their way round to the hospital to spend thanksgiving together with Steve and Janet. Nat had brought them the left overs so they could have at least one decent meal while they were there.

Dylan walked into the family waiting room and smiled when he smelt the food, "Looks like I can cancel my order at Chef Ming's."

"Dad!" Tommy exclaimed as Dylan bent down and hugged him and Mollie.

"Happy thanksgiving daddy" Mollie said as she gave him a kiss.

"Happy thanksgiving baby. Listen, I'm really sorry that I wasn't at the community centre today. I should have been there... but I am very proud of you two for being so generous and helping the families down there with your mom and grammy and Erin." he told them as Kelly listened on.

"We missed you..." Tommy confessed. They were really excited to do this with their dad.

"I missed you too... but now, we all get to have dinner together and there are two hot fudge sundaes back at the hotel with your names on them." he said with a teasing smile as they hugged him away.

"We love you dad" Mollie said quietly into his ear.

Dylan smiled, "I love you too."

They soon rushed off to get their dinner just as Kelly walked over, "That was nice." she told him.

Dylan raised an eyebrow, "Eavesdrop much?"

Kelly shrugged and smirked, "Only when it suits me. How was the airport?"

"Charming as always... how was the rec centre?"

"Somehow, we survived without you..." Kelly teased as she walked away to help the twins before they spilled their plates everywhere.

"So..." Dylan heard Matt say as he took his turn to approach him. "I heard you had some family in town."

Dylan crossed his arms and watched Kelly and the twins as they argued over how much turkey was a reasonable amount. "Yeah, my aunt Lily. She just drops in unannounced, she's like that."

"I did your will 6 months ago, remember? You don't have an aunt Lily." Matt reasoned.

"Maybe I do. Maybe I just decided that my kids were the only ones I wanted to give my money to." he reasoned back.

"Maybe... or maybe I should just thank you." Matt said as Dylan merely nodded his head. He couldn't quite believe that Matt was thanking him for not proving to Kelly that he was a good man. Surely that wasn't a good sign... right?

After finishing their dinner, Janet and Steve found out that Madeline had started to breathe on her own and they could finally take her out of her incubator and hold her. Everyone watched from the window as they did so, Dylan held Mollie in his arms so she could see and Kelly held Tommy.

"Hard to believe that these two were once that small" Dylan commented, remembering how they were only around 2lbs.

Kelly smiled, "Yeah time really files"

"We were really that small?" Mollie asked in disbelief.

Kelly nodded her head, "You were actually smaller than this because you were born a little earlier than most babies."

"How much earlier?" Tommy asked.

"3 months."

"Wow... that's so early..." Mollie said before Kelly said she'd show them some pictures when they got home. The fact that they were premature had never been a topic of conversation in their house. They were too little to remember their countless hospital appointments over the first year and bit and now they were happy and healthy kids. It almost didn't seem real that they were so sick.

"You still want a brother or sister?" Dylan asked the twins as Kelly's eyes widened at his question. Did he _really_ have to remind them about that?

"Uh, _yeah_! Look how cute she is" Mollie said as she cooed through the window.

"Yeah, you and mom should really do us a favour." Tommy said as Kelly immediately blushed and Dylan held back his laugh.

"I'm starting to think we need to have the where to babies come from talk a lot sooner than planned..." Kelly whispered to Dylan.

"Maybe a U rated version..."


	52. All or Nothing

_So glad you're all loving the family moments in the past few chapters! Dylan and Mollie have a little moment at the end of this chapter that's one of my favourites._

* * *

_Some bad choices in various shapes and forms coming up now...__!_

* * *

Chapter Fifty-Two- All or Nothing

A few days after thanksgiving, Dylan finally plucked up the courage to apologise to Kelly for the whole fiasco. She had gotten her hopes up that he was finally growing up and then he completely dashed them for Matt's sake.

_"It was bad what I did to you and the twins on thanksgiving and I apologised to them but I should have also apologised to you. It wasn't cool. So torture me, torture me with a medieval instrument with a pointed blade at the end of a long stick."_

Kelly had playfully rolled her eyes at his apology and then accepted it. She really struggled to stay mad at him for long. He was just so ridiculously charming and that little crooked smile he gave her always made her weak at the knees. She then agreed to help him find a painting to hang in his suite at the hotel. She was surprised that he was talking about the hotel like it was a permanent deal. He hated living there as a teenager and when she called him out on this, he just remained silent. It was like he was waiting for something but she had no idea what.

She soon picked out a painting for him which he readily bought... and then gave it to _her_. As a gift he claimed, but Kelly wasn't too sure about accepting such an expensive gift—Matt was even less sure.

_"It's not the painting that bugs me, it's what it represents."_ he had exclaimed when he let his feelings to Kelly known. He thought Dylan had backed away after thanksgiving, but apparently not. He was playing the long game and Matt wasn't about to let him get away with it.

Kelly was a little frustrated too. Dylan had been sending her mixed signals, he was getting in the way of her relationship and for what? He may have been sorting out his life, but he wasn't ready to be with her. She knew that and she was pretty sure he did too. So, she called round to his suite a few days later to sort this out once and for all.

"Why are you limping?" she asked as she walked in and closed the door, noticing him hobbling around his living room.

"Oh just David. He got a little jealous and pushed me in front of an oncoming car." Dylan explained. He had been talking to Gina and David really wasn't prepared to let Dylan get in the way yet again.

"Seriously." Kelly said, rolling her eyes. That was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. Sweet, calm David Silver pushed Dylan in front of a car? No way.

"Seriously? David got a_ lot_ jealous..."

"Why? What did you do?" Kelly asked, playing this one out.

Dylan shrugged, "I didn't do anything."

Kelly nodded. It wouldn't take a genius to guess what David was cross about. "David thinks you've come between him and Gina, right?"

"Well, he's wrong." Dylan replied. He wasn't interested in getting back with Gina, that ship had sailed.

"Matt thinks you've come between me and him."

Dylan frowned, "...am I sensing a pattern?"

"Yeah, you are and I'm getting a little sick of it Dylan." she replied, not picking up on his jokey tone.

"Sick of what?"

"Of all the hinting around, the 'it's just a gift from a friend routine.'" She told him. She wasn't an idiot, she knew what he was trying to do.

"That's all it was Kel."

"Was it?"

"Yeah."

_"Stop it Dylan."_

"Stop what?"

Kelly's temper started to flare, "If you bought that painting because you thought there was something between us, something that's going to keep us from being able to be with other people then I say we finish it."

Dylan looked at her, completely confused. Was she seriously suggesting what he thought she was? This was not the response he was expecting. He expected her to push him away for as long as possible, not give him the opportunity to actually be with her.

"Finish it?" he questioned with a gulp.

"Commit to it. _Really_ commit to it, commit to each other. We already have the two kids part down, all we need is the house and the dog in the corner." she challenged.

"All or nothing?" he questioned, wanting her to make it abundantly clear what she was asking him. Did she really mean this? Was this a test?

Kelly nodded,_ "All or nothing."_ she repeated quietly. She knew exactly what he was going to say. She knew him as well as she knew herself and she knew he wasn't ready.

As predicted, Dylan let out a breath and backed away from her, a real sense of sadness in his eyes. It was like he wanted more than anything to say yes to it all, but he just _couldn't._ He didn't want it to happen like this. Not when her temper was flared and she didn't really mean what she was saying.

Kelly also nodded her head sadly at his answer. She knew he would back away, but it didn't change the fact that it still hurt a little bit.

"So, we're clear?" she said as boldly as she could.

"Yeah. We're clear." Dylan responded coldly as Kelly turned on her heel and swiftly left—before he saw the tears in her eyes.

* * *

The following evening, Kelly was putting the twins to bed when there was a knock at the door. She told them to pick out a book while she answered it and when she got there, she was surprised to see Dylan on the other side.

"Hi" she greeted quietly.

"Hi" He replied as he stood there, looking a little sheepish.

"What are you doing here?"

"You and I—we'll never be just nothing." he told her as Kelly stood, frozen.

"What?" she asked quietly.

"You said yesterday, all or nothing. It can never be nothing. There will _always_ be something between us." he told her honestly. Those words had been playing on his mind and while he had backed away, he couldn't let her think that his answer was nothing. It would and could never be nothing.

"Dylan-"

"Hopefully this will explain exactly what I mean" he said as he pulled out a wrapped canvas from behind his back. It was smaller than the one from the gallery, but big enough that Kelly could take a guess that it was a different painting.

Kelly sighed, "I thought we said no more gifts?"

"This is a gift from you to me" he said cryptically "and something you definitely won't be able to say no to. Goodnight Kel" he said before disappearing.

Kelly walked into the living room and set the canvas on the table before sitting down opposite it. She looked at the wrapping for a moment, before quickly unwrapping it, her heart jumping when she saw what it was. It was a beautiful black and white canvas of Tommy and Mollie, smiling brightly with their arms wrapped around each other.

Kelly knew exactly where this picture had been taken. They were at the beach about a month ago and they were smiling and laughing and Dylan had stopped them to take the quick snap. The scene was even cuter than the photo but Kelly certainly adored this all the same. She delicately ran her fingers over it. She loved how they were the perfect blend of her and Dylan, in their looks and their personalities. They took all their best qualities and for that, she couldn't be more thankful.

Kelly walked over to the fire place and took the painting that was above it down. As she was about to hang the canvas, she noticed there was a note attached to the back of it.

_"It will never be nothing. They made sure it is everything."_

Despite Dylan saying no, Kelly had a funny feeling in that moment that this wasn't over. That this wasn't how their story ended.

* * *

A few weeks later, Christmas had rolled round. The twins had asked Kelly if they could somehow donate some presents to the kids at the community centre and she and Donna were able to make it happen through the store. For every customer who donated a toy, they got a 10% discount on their purchases.

On Christmas Eve, Kelly and the twins arrived at the centre to hand over the toys and spotted Dylan and Andrew trying to straighten the Christmas tree outside.

"Dad!" Tommy called as he and Mollie ran over to him.

"Hey monsters."

"We're having a little trouble with direction here..." Andrew joked as Kelly walked over with a box in tow, that Andrew quickly took from her.

"So I hear" she said with a little laugh, having overheard them arguing about it.

"Andrew this is Kelly, Tommy and Mollie's mom. Kelly this is Andrew" he introduced. "And this little urchin here is RJ" he said as the little boy came over to say hi to Mollie and Tommy.

"Hi RJ" Kelly greeted with a smile, "Are you ready for Christmas?"

"_Way_ ready. Are those presents for the kids?" he asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I have a whole other box in the car. Why don't Tommy and Mollie take you to check it out?" Kelly asked as she handed the keys to Mollie and they bolted to the car.

"I'll give them a hand. It was nice to finally meet you Kelly" Andrew said as he went after them.

"Cute kid" Kelly commented as she crossed her arms.

"You're not exactly his type" Dylan joked.

Kelly rolled her eyes, "I was talking about RJ. Yet another kid who worships you."

Dylan ignored her comment, "Nice touch with the toys."

"It was all Mollie and Tommy's idea. They really love coming down here." Kelly told him. They always had stories to tell after an afternoon at the community centre. They had made some really nice friends here and not to mention the wonder of good it was doing for Dylan.

"Proposing marriage to me, was that Mollie and Tommy's idea too?" Dylan asked. Kelly was a little taken aback by his question. She had expected him to pretend like this whole thing never happened—like they normally did with tense situations between them—but he appeared to be holding on to this one.

"Probably in their dreams..." Kelly mumbled "And I did _not_ propose to you, I merely _suggested_ that you take things more seriously." she responded as Dylan smirked. "Is this funny to you?" she asked, her voice raised slightly.

"I'm just flattered by your concern."

Kelly rolled her eyes, "I was just making a point about the things that you do, or _don't_ do."

Before Dylan could protest, an angry resident from a few doors down came stomping over with an axe to grind. He was angry that sobriety meetings were being held in the community centre and rubbish was being dumped outside his house.

_"How long before they trade back and I'm stepping on a used needle?"_ The man had exclaimed in front of a bunch of kids much to Dylan's disgust.

Dylan didn't expect this to be the last time this guy came storming into the centre with a problem. A few days later, Dylan was decorating the centre with the kids when he came back.

"Here, take that Santa Claus and put it on the tree" he said to Mollie as he handed her the decoration and opened a candy cane.

"Daddy that candy cane is going to ruin your dinner" Mollie playfully scolded.

"This? Nah, don't worry about this... here." he said as he handed her one and her eyes widened. "Don't tell mom-"

"You know what happens to property values when community centres come into the neighbourhood?" Dylan heard behind him as he turned around and saw the man standing in front of him with a trash bag.

Dylan looked around and saw all the kids were now staring at them, "No, I don't, but we have an office right down here where you and I can discuss anything you like-" he tried to rationalise, but the man was having none of it.

"They go down to nothing. I know this because my realtor showed my house to a nice couple from Portland, they didn't bother to step over this before moving on to the next." he said as he poured the contents of the trash bags at Dylan's feet.

"Ok, you're starting to scare the kids-"

"I've seen the parents that come and go from here, these kids are no strangers to _garbage_-"

_SMACK._

Dylan's temper flared and he quickly jabbed the man in the nose as all the kids gasped and stared, wide eyed.

"You've got a law suit on your hands! I got witnesses!" he exclaimed as he quickly left the centre.

"You guys see that?" Dylan asked immediately as he turned around to do some damage control, "What I did to that guy, it was wrong, I was wrong." he insisted as they all stayed silent, completely shocked by the whole thing.

* * *

The following morning after leaving the twins at kindergarten, Kelly walked in to the Pit to pick up some breakfast before work. When she got there, she spotted Dylan sitting at the counter and stared straight at him.

"... what?" he asked.

"I didn't say anything." Kelly said with a shrug, but Dylan knew exactly what she was mad about.

"You saw the guy Kel, he came back, he was grapping about the support group, he called the kids trash-" he immediately started to justify.

"Oh, I heard all about it when _my_ kids came home and all they could talk about was how daddy punched out the bad man." Kelly said, completely unimpressed by Dylan's temper.

"He threw_ garbage_ at their feet."

"You could have at _least_ waited until they were gone before you beat him up." Kelly told him. While she was cross at Dylan, she also didn't blame him. This guy sounded like a real piece of work, a punch in the nose was the least he deserved.

"I paid him off, he's not going to press charges-"

Kelly sighed, "That's not the point Dylan. Those kids look up to you, _your_ kids look up to you. You're a role model whether you believe it or not. It's not enough for you to just throw money at the place and spend some time there every now and again."

Dylan stood from his stool and placed money on the counter before turning to Kelly, "With you, it is _never_ enough." he said through his teeth before storming away.

* * *

That afternoon, Dylan picked the twins up from school and took them down to the centre. Everything was going fine until one of the kids ran into the office saying that one of the kids was hurt. When Dylan and Andrew went out into the rec room, they found Justin standing with a bloody nose and sheepish Tommy standing a short distance from him.

"Let me see your nose" Andrew said as he bent down to his height. "What happened?"

"Tommy hit him! _Bam_ in the nose and then the blood came rushing out" one of the kids explained as Dylan frowned at Tommy.

"Tommy, is that true?"

"He cheated at foosball! He does it all the time dad-"

"That is _not_ an excuse to hit someone, do you understand me?" he said firmly.

"How come _you_ get to do it?" Tommy asked as Dylan gulped.

_Oh boy._ How was he going to worm his way out of this one?

* * *

After making sure Justin was ok, Dylan took the twins back to the suite and called Kelly to tell her what happened. When he opened the door to her and she looked less than impressed.

"Hey, I got your message. Did he really hit someone?" she asked. It was so unlike Tommy to be violent.

"Yeah, he did. I thought we should maybe take this one together... you can be mad at me after." he told her as he held his hands up.

"Oh, I will be." she said with a glare. "Tommy, come here please!" Kelly called as Tommy came sulking out of his bedroom and sat on the sofa, ready for his punishment.

"Dad's already told me not to hit people mom, I don't need to hear it again..." Tommy grumbled as he looked at his feet, knowing that his mother's response would probably be ten times worse.

"I think you might need to hear it again, just to make sure it sinks in." Kelly told him as she and Dylan sat opposite him on the coffee table. "We do_ not_ hit people Tommy, you know that."

"Justin was cheating!"

"Ah, no excuses." she warned as he quietened down as well. "We do not solve our problems by hitting. What do you and Mollie do when you disagree?"

"We shout... _a lot_..."

Kelly scoffed, "yes but then you sit down with me or dad and you talk it out. That is what you should have done with Justin."

"He wouldn't listen mom! So, I did what dad did..."

"Tommy, I am sorry that I hit that man. I shouldn't have done it, there is no excuse for it and I'm really sorry you had to see me lose my temper." Dylan apologised.

Tommy straightened his back proudly, "It didn't scare me."

"Well, it scared me. I lost control of the situation. I proved that by using my fist to solve the problem instead of my brain. Afterwards, I was a little embarrassed..." Dylan told him as Tommy shrank back down.

"That's the way I feel too..." Tommy admitted. He was determined not to back down from his actions, but when he heard what his dad had to say about his own indiscretions, he realised just how wrong he was.

Kelly and Dylan briefly glanced at each other, relieved that they were getting through to him. "I think we should go over to Justin's house and apologise. Maybe he'll understand and you guys can be friends again."

"You think so?" Tommy asked hopefully. As much as Justin's cheating frustrated him, he still enjoyed playing with him.

"Yeah, I do." Dylan said positively.

"I'm sorry mom" Tommy said as he stood up and hugged Kelly.

"It's ok baby" she told him as she quickly kissed him and he immediately wiped it away. "Oh, are you too cool for momma's kisses now?"

"Mom, I'm going to be 6 in six months, it's about time I grew up..." Tommy said with an eye roll as he went into his room to get his shoes.

"You did good" Kelly told Dylan sincerely.

"Oh, have I redeemed myself?" Dylan joked as Kelly rolled her eyes.

"For now."

"For now? You expecting me to screw up again?" he asked, feigning disgust.

"I don't know what to expect from you anymore Dylan. You're kind of unpredictable." Kelly confessed. One day he was hot for her, the next he was cold and she never knew what kind of mood he would be in.

Dylan shrugged, "I don't know, I think there a few things you can count on with me."

"Oh yeah? And what would those be?"

"I would do anything for my kids, I will always help a friend in need, I will always have a slice of peach pie every Thursday and... I'll never be able to shake Kelly Taylor from my system." he told her as Kelly just stared at him. So much for no hinting around.

Tommy came barging into the room before Kelly could say anything, "Ready!" he exclaimed.

"Let's go little man" Dylan said as Dylan lifted his jacket and walked towards the door with Tommy, but not before stealing on final glance at Kelly.

* * *

Kelly couldn't get Dylan off her mind for the rest of the week. She experienced all kinds of emotions when she thought of him. Love, acceptance, admiration, pride, anger, sadness, frustration, _guilt_. She was so beyond _confused_ by him and about him. He backed away from her, yet he said he couldn't shake her. She was convinced he really had no idea what he wanted.

One thing Kelly was sure of, however, was how much Matt loved her and how kind and honest and trustworthy he was. Which is why when he proposed to her on Christmas Eve, she couldn't help but say yes. He was the kind of man she had dreamed of being with as a little girl. One thing that was running through her head, however, was:

_He is just Brandon 2.0. Look how that turned out._

She thought Brandon was exactly the kind of guy she needed, but maybe she was wrong. She shook those thoughts out of her head. Matt was certainly a guy she wanted to hold on to—she just wasn't sure how her kids would feel about the whole thing. Before they opened their presents the following Christmas morning, Kelly and Matt sat them down to tell them the news.

"There is something that Matt and I would like to talk to you about." they said as they all sat in the living room.

"Oh no... this sounds serious" Tommy said with a grimace. He really wasn't in the mood for a serious chat, he just wanted to open his presents.

"It's nothing to be worried about" Kelly assured him as she took his hand. "So, you know when two people love each other they sometimes get married, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, like Auntie Janet and Uncle Steve" Mollie replied.

"Yeah, exactly. Well... last night, Matt asked mommy to marry him and I said yes" Kelly said with a smile as Mollie and Tommy's jaws hit the floor.

"You're getting married?" Tommy asked quietly, as Kelly's smile dropped slightly when she heard the sadness in his voice.

"Yeah honey. We're getting married."

"...Oh." Mollie simply said.

Matt let out a little laugh, "Oh?"

"Yeah. _Oh._" Mollie said as she glared at Matt, her voice full of disdain.

"I'm not sure I like that tone Mollie McKay." Kelly warned.

"This is just all a little unexpected, that's all." Mollie reasoned as she crossed her arms.

"I keep thinking I'm talking to a 5 year old when really—I'm talking to a 30 year old." Matt joked as the twins glared at him simultaneously.

Kelly cleared her throat awkwardly as she tried to desperately save the situation before it went into meltdown mode, "This is obviously something that affects you two as well, but we all know that you like Matt" Kelly remined them.

"Yeah, but he's not dad, is he?" Tommy challenged. Kelly had managed to push Dylan to the back of her mind since last night, but she knew she couldn't avoid thinking about him forever. She remembered all too well how she felt when he announced his engagement to Toni, so she could only imagine how he was going to take this news.

_"Tommy!"_ Kelly warned through her teeth as Matt sat back in his chair, feeling pretty defeated right about now. If his fiancée's kids didn't like him, what hope did he have?

"Isn't this something you could have told us _after_ Christmas?" Mollie asked, now feeling that the whole day had been ruined.

"I was hoping that you would be excited about this." Kelly told them quietly.

"Your hopes were misguided." Tommy grumbled as he and Mollie dashed into their room.

Kelly sighed and ran a hand through her hair. What a disaster. She turned to Matt; "Matt, I am so sorry, I will talk to them, they'll come around to the idea-"

"It's ok Kel, let's just go and get ready for Steve and Janet's." Matt said bluntly before getting up and going into the bedroom.

What the hell was she going to do?

* * *

"Hello?" Dylan called as he walked into Steve and Janet's house later that morning.

"Dad!" the twins excitedly shouted as they ran to him and hugged him. Dylan squeezed them tightly back and planted kisses all over them.

"Merry Christmas twinnies." He said as they smiled brightly up at him.

"Merry Christmas daddy" Mollie replied with a little giggle.

"There are two Santa sacks waiting at the hotel with your names on them" Dylan teased as their faces brightened.

"Really?!"

"Oh yeah." Dylan confirmed as Kelly walked over.

"Well, they can open them later with all their other Santa presents back at the apartment." Kelly said as she ran her hand over Mollie's ponytail.

Dylan frowned, "You didn't open any presents this morning?"

"We weren't in the mood..." Mollie said as she and Tommy sulked away.

"What is that all about? They love Christmas."

Kelly gulped. "Long story... Donna, can you help me with something real quick?" she asked her friend as she dragged Donna upstairs.

When they got into the bathroom, Kelly spilled about the engagement. She wanted to tell everyone together, but she needed to talk to Donna first. She needed to talk to her about Dylan.

"Why do you look so down about the fact that you just got _engaged_?" Donna asked, seeing that Kelly wasn't too thrilled about the news.

"I just—I keep thinking about Dylan." Kelly confessed.

Donna looked at her sadly. This was like her wedding day with Brandon all over again.

"Cause he loves you, right?" Donna asked, knowing full well how Dylan felt about Kelly. Everyone did.

"He loves me when it suits him, when I don't ask too much of him." Kelly said, looking for reasons not to love him back. He'd said countless times before that her standards were annoyingly high and she certainly didn't want to be constantly disappointed by him.

"Well... how do you feel about him?" Donna asked cautiously.

"I always thought that he was the one" Kelly mumbled truthfully. "But now... privilege and charm and money make walking away from problems so easy for him. It never used to bother me when we were teenagers, I stuck up for him no matter what but we're adults now, we have to take responsibility. It drives me _crazy_." She really was grasping at anything she could to reason with herself. Besides, he had walked away from her when she gave him the option anyway.

"People change all the time and you've always said that there is so much more to Dylan than what he lets the world see. You've always believed in him and he _is_ growing up Kel-"

"He's growing up too late and I can't sit around and wait for him to get there." Kelly said firmly. "Dylan will always have a piece of my heart that Matt will never have and quite honestly—he'll always have a piece of my _soul_... but maybe all he was ever destined to be was the first boy to love me and the father of my children." she said quietly, not entirely sure that she even believed herself. She hated that she was putting him a box like that. What they had couldn't be squashed into one sentence.

"How do Mollie and Tommy feel?"

Kelly scoffed, "They're_ barely_ talking to me right now, they didn't even open their presents this morning. They're 5 years old and somehow, they think I've ruined their lives."

"They'll come around to the idea." Donna encouraged, even though she highly doubted that. They loved Brandon, but they weren't overly keen on the idea of Kelly marrying him. Now, they only _liked_ Matt— or, in all honesty, _tolerated_ Matt, so she wasn't surprised they were angry.

"I hope so..."

* * *

Kelly and Donna made their way downstairs were Matt called Kelly over for a toast. They then announced their engagement and it took everything in Kelly to force a smile onto her face and not look at Dylan—who everyone else was conveniently looking at to see his reaction.

Dylan walked over to the steps into the living room and sat on them while everyone rushed over to Kelly and Matt to see the ring and congratulate them. He felt his knees go weak when he heard Matt say the word engaged. They were engaged and he was supposed to stand there and be happy for them. He cursed himself for all his screw ups over the past while. Maybe if he'd behaved like the perfect guy she wouldn't have said yes. But, then again, he wasn't the perfect guy and she had always known that—yet she loved him anyway.

David cautiously walked over to Dylan, noticing how broken he looked, "Hey, there's a wrestling rematch on cable later, I was going to watch it at the bungalow but I actually don't have cable anymore-" he began, looking for a reason to get Dylan out of there before he was made any more miserable by this whole thing.

"You live without something for long enough you don't actually miss it anymore..." Dylan grumbled as he stood up, trying to pretend that he was ok. "I gotta go."

"Hey, let's just-"

"David. Let me go man." Dylan pleaded. David could see the pain in his eyes and backed away from him.

"Dad, don't go, please." Tommy begged as he and Mollie went over to him.

Dylan sat back down on the step so he was eye level with them. "I have to be somewhere guys but I will see you two tonight for some Christmas festivities." he promised.

Suddenly, Mollie burst into tears as everyone turned to look at the scene unfolding behind them. Dylan frowned immediately, wanting to cry himself at his daughter's sadness.

"Mols, hey, hey, it's ok, you're ok" Dylan comforted as he hugged her and rubbed her back.

Kelly looked on guiltily with tears in her eyes. How could she be happy about her engagement when three of the people she loved most in this world were miserable?

"Everything is changing and we're not going to be a family anymore!" Mollie exclaimed through her tears.

Dylan gulped as he tried to control his own emotions. His children didn't need to see him sad right now. They needed to know that everything would be ok and he was the only person who could assure her of that right now.

"Mollie- Mollie, look at me" Dylan said as Mollie lifted her head from Dylan's shoulder and looked at him. "See all these people here?" he asked as she turned around, her back against Dylan's chest as he rest his cheek against hers. "They all love you two a tremendous amount." he said as Mollie and Tommy looked up at Donna, David, Steve, Janet, Kelly and Matt. "Nothing is ever going to change that. Nothing is ever going to change this family. Not mommy getting married—_nothing_. You will always have a mommy and a daddy who love you very much and everyone else? Well, they're just an added bonus."

"You promise?" Mollie said as she kept whimpering slightly.

"With my whole heart." he replied. "Come here" he said to Tommy as Mollie turned back around and he hugged them both. He may have been losing Kelly, but he knew he would always have his babies. That was a part of her that he could take with him for the rest of his life.

"You uh—you guys should go with daddy for some dinner." Kelly interrupted. Maybe it was best they went and took a breather from everything.

"Really?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah" Kelly said quietly with a nod. "We'll catch up with you later. You have to come and give me a big hug first" Kelly insisted as she bent down to their height and they quickly ran over to her and hugged her tightly.

"I'm sorry we didn't open our presents earlier..." Tommy apologised.

"Yeah, we're sorry..."

Kelly let out a little laugh, "Oh honeys it's ok. We can open them later." she said with a wink.

Tommy looked up at Matt, "We're sorry we ruined your engagement too. We're happy we're making our family bigger."

"You didn't ruin anything" Matt insisted. "I am very happy to be a part of your lives." he told them sincerely as they gave him tight lipped smiles. It wasn't exactly a moment of joy, but it certainly was progress.

Kelly continued to refuse to look at Dylan. She knew if she did she might break. So she did what she and Dylan did best—_avoided_. She knew, however, that she couldn't avoid forever and things would blow up before she knew it.

* * *

_Not a great move on Kelly's part... 6 more chapters to get it right... can they do it?_


	53. All That You Are

Chapter Fifty-Three- All That You Are

After a fairly disastrous Christmas, Kelly wondered if it was too much to ask to just have a little bit of _peace_ in her life. She wanted to be able to enjoy the holiday with her family and friends and more than anything, she wanted to be able to enjoy her engagement. The latter was proving particularly difficult considering Tommy and Mollie refused to talk about it and Dylan refused to talk to her at_ all_. She knew they needed to have a conversation about the whole thing, but she wasn't having much luck considering Dylan did little more than give monosyllabic responses to anything she said to him.

Matt was also struggling to enjoy his engagement. He had bought the ring on the assurance of some money coming through from a client, but it fell through and now he was broke. He expressed his concerns to Gina who then went to the one person they all knew who had plenty of money to throw around—Dylan. She got a loan for a 'friend' and that was that... until Matt thought about it for a moment. There was only one person on the planet he knew with money like that and he definitely wasn't in any mood to take a handout from Dylan McKay.

"Gina said someone was in trouble, she just didn't say who..." Dylan said as he tried to hide his smirk while Matt handed him back the cheque.

"First off—I'm not in trouble." Matt made clear. "Second off- I don't need _your_ help buying things for_ my_ girlfriend."

Dylan frowned, "What are you talking about?" What could he possibly be buying for Kelly that was worth so much—Oh. _The ring_. Matt cringed as he noticed Dylan tuning in to the situation, "The engagement ring. That's why you're in trouble."

"I am not in trouble." Matt said again firmly.

Dylan chuckled, "You have to admit, me buying your engagement ring for Kelly is _dripping_ with irony..." in some sinister way, Dylan was getting a real kick out of this. Probably because he knew it was seriously pushing Matt's buttons. He genuinely was concerned though. This man was going to be his children's step-father and he had to be able to provide for them.

Matt clenched his jaw. "I have to go. Kelly's waiting for me... don't you just miss saying that?" he shot as Dylan shook his head, ready to fight back.

_"Hey._ We can quit kidding around now. You may think that you being in trouble financially is none of my business but it sure as hell_ is_ my business if it starts affecting my kids. You marry Kelly, you're taking them on too so I'm not going to sit back and watch you not being able to provide for them." Dylan made clear.

Matt scoffed, "Yeah, well, why don't you just flash your cash at them any time they're in trouble? I'm sure that'll buy their love and affection when they're old enough to realise that their superstar dad isn't so great after all." he snapped before walking out of the club and leaving a seething Dylan behind him.

* * *

To say that his conversation with Matt had put him in a bad mood for the rest of the week would have been an understatement. To make matters worse, Madeline's baptism was fast approaching and Dylan was wondering how he could stand up there with Kelly and agree to be godparents to this little girl. They already had to try and co-parent amidst the chaos they had created and he felt a little guilty adding another child into the mix—even if it was just as godparents.

He made his way to The Pit before he had to go to a rehearsal for the baptism. He placed his breakfast order with Nat just as Kelly walked in with a spring in her step.

"Hey Nat, can I get a coffee to go?" she asked happily as Nat nodded and left them. "I'm glad you're here, we can ride over to the church together." she said to Dylan with a smile. She figured that it wouldn't do either of them any good to be grumpy with one another, so she was going to try whether Dylan responded or not.

"You're awful _peppy_ today..." he grumbled.

"I'm actually a little nervous. I know today is a rehearsal but I've never been a part of a baptism before." Kelly said as she anxiously tapped her fingers against the counter. "Do you think we should have had the twins baptised?" she asked. When they were born, the thought had never even crossed her mind.

"I think when they're old enough they can make that choice for themselves." he replied.

"There we go. Coffee to go, eggs over easy" Nat said as he placed the items in front of them.

Kelly frowned, "Oh no, we don't have time for that-"

"Luckily, _we_ aren't eating it." he shot back as Kelly rolled her eyes. So much for talking to each other with a smile.

"You are going to take this godparent thing seriously, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I'm already a parent, what's one more kid to add to my list of responsibilities and another reason for you and I to be linked together for life?" he said sarcastically as Kelly felt her mood instantly deflate. Why did he always have to be so damn _difficult_? "Nice rock." he added on to the end as Kelly awkwardly moved her hand away and out of his eye line.

"Do you want to talk about this?" she asked quietly.

In that moment, Dylan couldn't imagine anything _worse_ than having to talk to her about her impending nuptials. "I'd rather just eat my breakfast-"

"I know that whole all or nothing thing was a little rogue on my part and maybe things _could_ have been different between us so I really think we need to talk about this." Kelly said again, not wanting this to be brushed under the rug for it to explode at a later date.

"I think that would make us late." Dylan said as he abandoned his breakfast and walked out the door, all in the name of peace.

* * *

_"This isn't about you guys, it's about me. Me being engaged, me committing to Matt while he and I are committing to Madeline and committing to being the best co-parents we can be in the midst of all the chaos—there's a lot of cross committing going on."_

Kelly had tried her best to explain Dylan's lacklustre attitude to this whole godparent thing as best she could, but she figured there were only so many excuses she could make for him about the whole thing. She had also discovered Matt's financial troubles that were almost resolved by Dylan. She too couldn't help but laugh at the irony of the situation for a brief moment, before telling Matt to sell the ring and get a smaller one—it really didn't matter to her.

Dylan also got some resolution about the whole godparent thing and stepped up when he was needed.

_"It's pretty clear that I wasn't anybody's first choice to be this child's godfather. My record with some of the women in this room is a little less than stellar. However, just like when Mollie and Tommy came along— my record with Madeline is a clean one and I promise that I will always be there for this little lady."_

Dylan's words had warmed Kelly's heart. She knew that this whole thing wasn't about Madeline and she was glad he could step up when he was needed. It also broke her heart a little knowing that the problem was _her._ She wasn't sure that their relationship could ever be repaired as much as she wanted it to be. Not when he was so cold and distant with her.

A few weeks after the baptism, Kelly jumped at the chance to spend some time with him when he walked into the pit one afternoon.

"Hey Dylan!" she called happily as he sighed and turned around. "Come eat with me" she insisted.

Dylan awkwardly scratched the back of his head, "I'm kind of in a rush Kel."

"You can eat and leave. I haven't seen you since Maddy's baptism. You somehow manage to sneak off with the kids before I can even process that they're gone." she said with a little laugh as he reluctantly sat opposite her. "How are things?"

"Good. Busy." He said bluntly.

"Yeah, club hopping. Gina showed us the picture in The Chronicle." Kelly said. She had no idea what the deal with that was, but Gina had been dragging Dylan around countless clubs for the past few weeks and their pictures were all over the papers as they chilled in the VIP booths. "Who's the new crowd?" she asked curiously.

"Just people." he said with a shrug.

Kelly nodded, growing more and more frustrated that this was like pulling teeth. "Listen, we were all thinking about going up to the Hollywood sign. Donna and David haven't been up there since graduation and I've been promising the twins I'd take them for ages now. You want to come?" she asked hopefully.

"I think I'll pass."

"How about next week?"

"I'll probably be busy."

Kelly raised an eyebrow, "Too busy for us?" It wasn't like Dylan to turn down time spent with the twins.

_Too busy to spend time with you and Matt- _Dylan had thought, but decided to stick with his short and blunt answers. "I'm a busy guy..." he said just as Gina walked in and rushed over to him.

"Hey, I need to talk to you-"

"Ladies, I am not really in the mood for conversation, I came here for a tuna melt." Dylan replied.

Kelly threw her napkin down and lifted her bag, "Then I won't keep you." she said through her teeth before storming out of the restaurant.

* * *

That evening, Kelly had tasked herself with cleaning out her room. She hadn't done so since she'd moved in here 6 years ago and she figured it was about time she got rid of a lot of things. What she didn't expect, however, was that it was a real trip down memory lane. She found a lot of her old clothes from high school, photographs, birthday cards and all of her college files. Most surprising however, was the number of _Dylan's_ possessions she found stashed under her bed. Old sweatshirts, caps—even_ underwear._ She wasn't sure _that_ was something she could discreetly return to him. She lifted one of his old sweaters and smelt it—somehow, it still smelt like him. She slipped it over her head and it was still as comfortable as she remembered. As she began to rummage through some more boxes, Donna walked into her room.

"Hey, what are you doing?" she asked as she looked at the mess of Kelly's room.

"Oh I'm just trying to tidy up around here a little... you'd be amazed at the stuff I have found under my bed." she said with a little laugh as Donna lifted a photo of them all from high school.

She laughed, "Look at this..."

Kelly chuckled, "Look at the clothes and Dylan's _hair."_

"I can only imagine how long he spent in front of a mirror making sure it sat perfectly." Donna teased.

Kelly playfully rolled her eyes, Dylan always complained that she took too long to get ready, but it was quite often him and that hair that made them late for things. "Oh you have _no_ idea... I can't quite believe that this same Dylan McKay and this same Steve Sanders are _fathers_."

Donna giggled, "I know, who would have thought? Have you spoken to Dylan since the baptism?"

Kelly sighed, "I saw him today. He made it pretty clear he wants _nothing_ to do with me..."

Donna gave her a sympathetic look as she saw the sadness on her friend's face "You and Dylan have been in each other's lives for way too long to throw it away. 20 years to be exact, you've known each other since you were 5 years old. You were best friends and then you were ridiculously in love and then you were parents—you're _everything_ to each other. He'll come around Kel. He always does." she assured her.

Kelly sat down on the bed and hugged her knees to her chest, "He came back into my world like a storm and immediately I was hit with how much I missed him while he was gone and now—I can't imagine my life without him. I can't imagine not seeing him every day and that is so selfish of me to say that but- It's the truth. _I can't live without him._ I don't _want_ to live without him." she told Donna honestly.

Donna knew in that moment that Kelly cared about Dylan a lot more than maintaining a lifelong friendship. She had always guessed that Kelly was being mum about how she really felt, but now she was certain. She wasn't about to call her out on it though. She knew a fight would ensure and she also wondered if Kelly could fully appreciate how she felt herself. She needed to come to her own realisations about her feelings, that much was certain.

"You're not going to have to live without him. I promise." she simply said, knowing that that would always be the truth no matter what.

* * *

The following morning, Donna rushed into Kelly's room to show her the front page of the paper. Apparently, Dylan had been arrested last night on one of his nights out with Gina. Kelly was _furious._ Just as he was starting to turn things around he managed to slip into old habits. She wasn't even remotely surprised, however, when she saw Gina was by his side. Wherever that girl went, trouble seemed to follow.

Kelly raced around Beverly Hill trying to find Dylan before so located him in the carpark of the Pit.

"Hey!" she shouted over to him before he got into his car.

"Not now Kelly."

Kelly ignored him as she approached him, "Donna said she saw something in The Chronicle, were your arrested last night?"

"Yeah."

"She said they found drugs in your car." Kelly said as she gulped and folded her arms.

"Yes, they did, but I'm not using so you can cancel the intervention now-"

"I'm just here because I care about what happens to you." she said softly. She knew he was mad at her, but she would never abandon him, no matter how hard he tried to push her away.

Dylan snapped round, "No, Kelly, you're here because I don't want to go to some stupid group picnic at the Hollywood sign!"

"_Don't_ talk to me like that Dylan." Kelly snapped back. "Excuse me for wanting to make sure my kids don't have to visit their father in a rehab facility or worse yet, behind _bars_!"

"Whatever." Dylan said as he jumped into his car and sped away.

It took Kelly only a few seconds to realise that she wasn't going to do this anymore. She wasn't going to let him walk all over her when she was just trying to be his friend. It wasn't fair and it wasn't right. She got into her car and drove to the Bellage and banged on his door.

He opened the door with a sigh, "You _really_ want to fight right now?" he asked.

"Yes, actually, I do." Kelly said as she stormed into the suite and slammed the door behind her.

"Well, next time you come to me and tell me you're sick of all the fighting, I'll remind you of this moment." Dylan said, remembering back to the last time they had a pretty explosive fight.

"I'm starting to think that we don't know how to anything but fight or you don't know how to do anything that is even _remotely_ sensible and _not_ reckless!" she shouted.

"Kelly, you're not my mother, I don't need to hear this."

"You know what Dylan? You can do whatever the hell you want and you normally do exactly that, no matter how it affects other people, I've known that for years. What bothers me is that I'm hearing about all your problems from other people and then when I try to help you, you get mad at me!" she said throwing her hands in the air in complete frustration.

"You don't try to _help_ me Kel, you _chastise_ me because I don't live up to your_ impossible_ standards!"

_"We had a pact._" Kelly dropped as Dylan looked at her—stunned. She hadn't used that one on him in a long time. "We promised to always turn to each other, to always be in each other's corner." she reminded him.

Dylan looked at his feet and gulped, "We were 14 years old when we made that pact. I think it's time we left the past in the past." he said. It surprised him how much it hurt to say that. He didn't want that in the slightest but it felt like the only thing to say. "Maybe you should make another pact with _Matt._" he said bitterly.

Kelly shook her head, "He's not my best friend."

"I think he's supposed to be Kel." Dylan told her as Kelly remained quiet. "Though I'll not lie to you, it is a little _rich_ hearing you pipe on about the pact when if anyone has broken it—it's been_ you_."

Kelly glared at him, "Excuse me?" she had been nothing but loyal to that pact... right?

"You are _never_ in my corner, you are always looking for reasons to turn your nose up at me."

_"That is not true._" Kelly said without missing a beat. "If I am ever hard on you Dylan, it's because I know the man you are." she said, as she finally let her temper settle and her voice became calmer. "I know the man that you, for some reason, are trying so _desperately_ not to be. You have been the one thing in my life that has been constant. Sure, we had our blips, but we always fell back into a rhythm with one another. We always managed to be best friends again, you always managed to come around, but now? It's getting _old_. You have to stop looking for reasons to not be the kind and generous and loving man that I know." she pleaded with him as Dylan was at a loss for words. After everything they had put each other through, how could she think so highly of him? "This isn't me turning my nose up at you Dylan. This is me fighting for you and all that I know you can be."

"... you're probably the only person on the planet who believes any of that." he said quietly. It always astounded him how much faith Kelly had in him in everything that he did. No one had dared to say that Dylan could be great. _But she knew_. She knew _him_ and she knew his _heart_ and she knew his _soul_. She knew he was great no matter what anyone else had to say.

Kelly smiled lightly, "Well... why don't you prove me right?"


	54. Fighting for Love

_Two sick twinnies and an out of character moment for Gina... enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Fifty-Four- Fighting for Love

When Kelly considered her life, she always thought of it as a never-ending obstacle course. She'd crawl through a pit of mud, she'd scale down a wall, she'd run to the finish line—and then she'd be told that she had to do it all over again. The obstacles Kelly faced in her life seemed to be never ending. Just as she had managed to get Dylan to talk to her again, Matt's brother and sister-in-law came into town and asked him if he would donate his sperm so they could have a baby. Kelly thought it was completely insane to ask Matt to do something like this and she did not expect Matt to be so willing. He felt honored that they asked him and that he was in the position to help. He immediately said yes much to Kelly's annoyance. She knew it was selfish to ask but she knew him. She knew he wouldn't be able to have his kid running around out there, not knowing who he truly was to them. She also felt a little jealous that the first baby he would have wouldn't be with her. When she expressed her concerns to Matt, he was quick to see it as hypocritical.

_"You have two kids that aren't mine."_

_"This has nothing to do with my kids, I had they way before I met you, this is entirely different."_

_"Entirely different? Why? Because you thought you and Dylan would be together forever and another man would never be an issue? I guess forever was pretty short."_

Matt's words had hurt Kelly more than she'd cared to admit. Yeah, she did think Dylan was her forever and forever turned out to be pretty short, but their break-up was something she didn't like to think about much. She didn't like to think about what could have been. Reality was, she _wasn't_ with Dylan and another man _was_ in the picture and therefore, the kids thing _was_ becoming an issue. They both knew this really had nothing to do with Mollie and Tommy, Matt loved them, but right now they were serving a crucial point in his argument.

It took a while, but Kelly eventually gave in to the idea. She couldn't imagine her life without Mollie and Tommy and she didn't want Julianne and Patrick to miss out on that because of her. At the end of the day, it wasn't about her. Sure, it affected her world and it complicated things, but this was about Patrick and Matt and she needed to come to terms with that.

After Matt completed the donation, Kelly put the whole thing to the back of her mind. She knew it wouldn't do anyone any good for her to dwell on it. Instead, she just got on with things as usual. Like her usual Saturday morning set up. She and the twins would eat breakfast and watch cartoons together, usually with Matt and Donna too.

As she lifted out the cereal boxes and Matt lifted out the bowls, Tommy walked into the kitchen looking a little pale.

"Momma... I don't feel so good" he grumbled as Kelly walked towards him with a frown.

"Oh, baby, is it your tummy?" she asked she felt his forehead to see if he had a temperature.

Before Tommy could reply his head bent over and he threw up all over the tiles.

Kelly grimaced, "I guess that answers that question..."

"I'll uh—I'll get the bleach..." Matt said as he manoeuvred around the vomit.

"Come on baby" Kelly said as she lifted Tommy up and he wrapped himself around his mom as she held him closely. "Let's get you cleaned up"

Kelly took Tommy into the bathroom and stripped him of his vomit covered pyjamas. She set him by the toilet in case he needed to vomit again before she started running the bath and got Tommy a glass of water.

Donna soon rushed into the bathroom and saw how green Tommy looked.

"Hi..." she greeted cautiously as Tommy weakly waved at Donna and Kelly helped him into the bath.

"Little man isn't feeling so good, so we're going to get him washed up and straight back in to bed. It's only a matter of time before Mollie catches it too..." Kelly said, realising she would probably have to do this all over again.

"Yeah, that's going to be sooner than expected, she just threw up and is _screaming_ for Dylan..." Kelly said as she clocked in to Mollie's wails getting louder as Matt carried her into the bathroom.

"Great... come here baby" Kelly said as she took Mollie in her arms. She'd already tried calling Dylan that morning to see if he wanted to join them for cartoons but he didn't pick up. She'd heard from him yesterday morning when he called to ask if the twins were ok and safe. Kelly thought the call was a little weird but she chose not to dwell on it, it wasn't that big of a deal, but now she was a little concerned that he wasn't answering his phone.

Kelly got Mollie into the bath and turned to Matt and Donna with a sigh, "Why do they always want Dylan when he is nowhere to be found?"

"I'll try calling him again" Donna offered, "I'm sure he's just surfing or something."

After Donna couldn't get through, Kelly called and called and called for the rest of the day and_ nothing._ She was trying not to let it worry her, but it wasn't like Dylan to go completely off the face of the Earth like this. Between calling Dylan, Kelly spent the rest of the day cleaning up sick and rubbing Mollie and Tommy's backs until they drifted off to sleep. They had been begging for Dylan all day and Kelly didn't know what to tell them. She had no clue where he was. The following day she'd repeated the same routine with no luck. She'd asked Donna if she should be worried, but her friend insisted that Dylan could look after himself and she was sure he had a perfectly reasonable explanation.

Dylan's explanation _had_ been perfectly reasonable if not a _little_ unbelievable. Noah had been kidnapped over a drug deal gone wrong and the hostage takers expected Dylan to pay the ransom. Things took a turn as Dylan somehow got caught up in a situation that ended in a car exploding, but he was safe and Noah was safe and the guys were arrested and that is what mattered.

When he listened to all of Kelly's angry voicemails that evening he wondered if he was better off being held hostage than having to deal with Kelly. He arrived at the apartment that night and wasn't surprised when the door swung open with an unimpressed looking Kelly on the other side.

"... can you be mad at me later please?" he asked with a hopeful smirk.

"Only because I need you to go in there and sooth my sick babies to sleep." she replied. Dylan soon realised how exhausted she was and how thankful she looked that he was finally here. He'd always had the magic touch with the twins. He was the best comfort they had in their lives.

"I'm on it" he said as he made his way round to Kelly's room and saw the twins lying in the middle of the bed. "Hey monsters" he said quietly as they looked up and him and held out their arms.

"Dad..." Mollie said as Dylan hugged them both before lying down beside them and pulling them in to his sides.

"We missed you" Tommy grumbled as he fought to keep his eyes open.

Dylan quickly kissed his head, "I missed you too. I'm sorry I wasn't here, but I am now."

Kelly appeared at the door and leaned in the door frame. There were very few things she loved more than seeing how much the twins adored their dad. It was the sweetest thing in the world.

"Momma" she heard Mollie said a she looked at her daughter, "Will you come lie with us?"

"Of course baby" Kelly said as she lay down beside Mollie and joined Dylan in rubbing their backs until they fell asleep. Once they heard their breathing become deeper, Kelly smiled lightly up at Dylan.

"The magic touch"

Dylan smirked, "Yeah"

Kelly frowned as she watched Dylan yawn. She only just realised how dishevelled he looked. What the_ hell_ had happened this weekend?

"Are you ok? You look really tired..."

"I'm exhausted" Dylan said as he head sunk deeper into the pillow behind him. There was something comforting about being in this bed again. Kelly's scent on the pillows and cover was glorious to him right now.

"Close your eyes" Kelly said quietly.

"I shouldn't fall asleep here-"

"Close your eyes." Kelly insisted. He didn't contemplate for long before he closed his eyes and fell asleep in an instant. Kelly smiled at the scene in front of her. She now realised that the twins looked so cute when they slept because_ Dylan_ looked so cute when he slept. It was most definitely genetic. Kelly soon succumbed to sleep herself as they all lay snuggled close together.

It wasn't long before Matt arrived at the apartment. As he pushed open the bedroom door, he was taken aback by the sight in front of him. They looked like the perfect little family—a family that couldn't and never would be a part of. He silently left the room realising that it wasn't his place to interrupt the moment. The twins were finally asleep, Kelly was finally asleep—and all because of Dylan.

* * *

The following morning, Kelly walked into the kitchen to make a pot of extra strong coffee when Donna walked in and told her why Dylan had been so late. They didn't know the whole story, but Kelly was quick to jump to the conclusion that Dylan got himself into that situation over some drug dealing he shouldn't have been doing.

He came into the kitchen a few moments after Donna had left to get dressed and Kelly was quick to jump down his throat.

"Tell me something, do you get a rush out of testing yourself? Or is it just a test for your friends? To keep us on our toes." Dylan sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair and leaned against the kitchen counter. Trust Kelly to ruin some decent family time.

"Yeah, that's right, cause it's all about_ you_" he grumbled back sarcastically.

"Yeah, I'd like to know because of out of everyone, your recklessness is about me and your children. Donna just lost her father Dylan, aren't alarm bells ringing in your head right about now telling you to wise the hell up?"

"I didn't volunteer to go out and play Russian Roulette. I was sitting at home watching the top off of the Laker game when Noah got kidnapped." Dylan told her, his voice raised slightly.

Kelly's face fell as she realised the terrible mistake she'd made. "What?" she asked quietly.

"I laid down a lot of cash and incidentally risked my life to try and get him back and you know what? It wasn't fun, I wouldn't try it at home kids."

Kelly looked at her feet, "Dylan, I had no idea-"

"The real bright spot was that my life flashed before my eyes and your lectures went by a lot quicker." he snapped.

Before Kelly could respond, Mollie and Tommy came wandering in to the kitchen. Dylan immediately scooped them up and took them over to the sofa for some serious cartoon binge watching. Kelly realise that her apology would have to wait. She felt ashamed that she'd jumped to conclusions, yet strangely proud that Dylan would do something so selfless—no matter how idiotic the whole thing was.

* * *

Dylan was frustrated. It seemed that no matter what he did, Kelly found a reason to jump down his throat and make him look like the bad guy. He was frustrated that she talked and talked about how great he was and how she wanted him to reach his full potential, but she seemed to always be looking for something to prove herself wrong. David and Donna were pretty convinced that she was doing it to try and push herself towards Matt, which sounded ridiculous considering she was engaged to the guy. But Kelly was _consumed_ by Dylan, she always had been. No matter what she was doing in life, no matter who she was with, Dylan was always at the forefront of her mind.

Kelly was always at the forefront of Dylan's mind too, but he wondered how long he could go waiting for her to realise they were meant to be together. He was so sure she would come to that conclusion herself, but right now, he didn't feel hopeful. He felt_ lost_. He felt like he could never achieve what he wanted. He felt defeated. Maybe he was better off staying away from Beverly Hills after all.

When Gina came to him and vented her own frustrations, mainly surrounding her familial problems that had arisen around her true parentage, Dylan was quick to suggest that they run. It was what he did best after all. It would probably make Kelly's life easier anyway.

He sulked in his office the following morning when Kelly appeared in the doorway, looking profoundly apologetic.

"Hi..." she greeted cautiously, knowing he was probably going to be pretty hostile with her.

"Hi." he replied as he leaned back in his chair.

"So... I'm really sorry" she said as Dylan remained silent, fully prepared for her rambled apology. "Yesterday I said you were reckless and if I had have known what happened I never would have said that."

"Whatever" Dylan mumbled. "By the way, after Dr. Martin's funeral, I'm leaving."

Kelly frowned, "I'm trying to say I'm sorry-"

"Didn't you hear what I said? After the funeral,_ I'm leaving._" he repeated as Kelly stopped, wishing this was a bad dream. "You told me a few weeks ago you've been looking for something and you seem to think you've found that in this new PR job and—I've been looking for something too."

"And you don't think it's here with your kids?" she asked quietly. She knew that what he had been looking for was her. He had been looking for the relationship that they'd lost and the love that seemed to disappear. Truth was, the love never went away—and neither had their stubborn personalities.

"I think it's _elsewhere_ with my kids." Dylan said. He would never in a million years abandon them, but there was no reason that he had to parent them in Beverly Hills.

Kelly nodded her head, "Ok... well, if you're going to leave then I don't want our bitching and moaning or the ridiculous amount of pain we inflict on each other to obscure the fact that—that you're my best friend. You're my family, you're the best father to my children and I am really going to miss you." she confessed as Dylan looked down, knowing that if he looked her in the eye, he'd never have the courage to go. "Where are you going to go?"

Dylan shrugged, "We're thinking South America. I hear it's really pretty this time of year."

Kelly raised an eyebrow, "We?"

"Me and Gina"

Kelly scoffed in jealousy and crossed her arms, _"Huh._ She didn't grieve long."

"Don't be like that. What were you just saying about inflicting pain?" he reminded her. Now really wasn't the time to be taking cheap digs at Gina.

Kelly ran her hand through her hair, "I want to be happy for you but—are you really going to be ok with not seeing Tommy and Mollie every day?"

"Probably not, no." he replied in an instant. He knew for a fact that he wouldn't be ok with it, but he also knew he needed to get his head straight. "But I need to do this. I need something fresh. I won't be gone forever and I'll still see them as often as I can."

"Last time you did this, you came back and you told me that while you were gone, you spent the whole time wishing you were here, with us." Kelly reminded him. "I just don't want you to run away and I don't want you to be selfish." she wasn't about to let him leave without a fight.

"Again with the inflicting pain-" Dylan began. He really wasn't in the mood to have her call him selfish—no matter how much truth there was to her words.

"What about the pain you inflict upon your kids? They finally got you back, they get to see you every day they love their new normal! They don't want to go back to seeing you on random holidays or-"

"Or when their mother cares more about cocaine than them." Dylan shot as Kelly glared deeply. He figured the more Kelly hated him, the easier it would be for her to see him go.

"How _dare_ you throw that in my face." he said through her teeth. She could easily go through Dylan's indiscretions but she was better than that. She thought he was too.

"If you want to lecture me on my decision Kelly, then I'm just going to go ahead and lecture you right back. You think I'm selfish for wanting to start fresh, or could it be that me leaving narrows your options?" He asked. "How is Matt, by the way?"

"That's real nice Dylan. Really mature! And I know what you're trying to do, I'm not an idiot. You think if you can get me to hate you, I won't kick up a fuss about you going." Kelly called him out as Dylan didn't say anything. She really did know him better than anyone. "Well you're an _idiot_ for thinking that would work. Though I am starting to think there is a thin line between love and hate... Don't do this Dylan, just—_don't._" she said, before turning around and leaving, hoping that he wouldn't do this. Not when they weren't finished.

* * *

_"I'm not telling you not to go, but you should stop taking what you have for granted. The more responsibilities we have, the more help we're going to need."_

Donna's words to Dylan before her father's funeral had stuck with him throughout the day. Donna had always recognised that Dylan was quick to feel sorry for himself and ignore all the good that he actually had in his life and today, she wasn't afraid to call him out on it. Sure, things were wildly complicated with Kelly, but he still had a life here. He had a _good_ life here. He had the club, he had his friends, his had his children. It was a hell of a lot to grateful for after everything he had been through.

Dylan felt like a fool. He thought it was courageous of him to leave Beverly Hills, but he realised that it took a lot more courage to stay. It took a lot more courage to stay and find the closure he so desperately needed.

He soon found Gina at the end of the funeral service to tell her he couldn't leave.

"It was nice in there, what happened." Dylan said, referring to the moment Gina got up and finished Donna's eulogy for her and Felice Martin accepted her, after all she had put her through. Gina had gotten her closure. She had gotten what she wanted.

"Yeah, it was."

"It's the kind of thing that could change somebody's mind about running away."

Gina raised an eyebrow, "Which somebody would that be?"

"You're in the front row now. It's where you always wanted to be." Dylan reminded her, wanting her to really think about whether leaving was right for her.

"Yeah, I wanted closure. Now I've got it." she said with a nod as she watched Dylan look over at Kelly as she spoke with Donna by the door. "Maybe you don't."

"You heard the man... life's about love, faith and family." Dylan recited from what the minister had said.

"How many have you got?"

"More than I'm willing to admit." Dylan confessed. It was about time he started accepting the good in his life. "Which is why I've got to stay."

Gina nodded, understanding exactly where he was coming from. She couldn't be mad because she knew this was the right thing to do for him. "The first thing I noticed about you when you walked into the Walsh house last thanksgiving was how your face lit up when your children ran into your arms. They're your world and something I've always been a little ashamed of is how I couldn't really accept that. But I hope they know how lucky they are to have you as a dad. If I had a dad like you, think about how different I could be..." she joked as Dylan smirked. "I also hope you realise how lucky _you_ are to have them. They've clearly changed your world."

"More than I can tell you..."

"The second thing I noticed about you that night was... the way you looked at Kelly. There was such an intensity in your eyes yet at the same time it was so tender and loving and_ real_. I also noticed the way she looked back at you. It was like time had stopped and her heart was standing right in front of her. She definitely doesn't look at Matt that way." Gina told him as Dylan put his hands in his pockets and looked at his feet. "Don't give up on her Dylan. Don't let her go without a fight."

Dylan was seriously shocked at Gina's words. He had never expected her to be so understanding and supportive of what he wanted, not after everything he put her through. He was glad they could have this closure, though he felt like he didn't deserve it.

* * *

That evening, everyone gathered in the apartment to spend some time together after a pretty emotionally draining day. Dylan stood in the kitchen getting the twins some milk just as Kelly walked in.

"Go on to bed, we'll be in in a minute." Dylan told them as they took their glasses, thanked him and darted away.

Dylan moved to the counter and got himself a beer while Kelly plucked up the courage to speak.

"About us being in this really weird place?" she asked as Dylan finally looked at her, "I don't want that and I'm sorry about lecturing you... I'm working on that" she said with an awkward laugh.

"I'm sorry too" he apologised, knowing he was pretty out of line with some of the things he said. "I don't want to be in a weird place either."

"Think we can get out of it?"

"I hope so. That's one of the reasons I stayed." he said as he delicately kissed her cheek and walked away, determined to fight for her.


	55. Lifeline

* * *

_I wasn't sure if I wanted to put this part of the story in, but decided to go for it in the end. There are some sweet DK moments and Dylan gets some desperately needed closure. Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Fifty-Five- Lifeline

A few weeks later, Dylan was struck was a pretty devastating blow. He was watching TV with the twins one evening when the news came on and a story about the emergency landing of an airplane at LAX popped up. As they showed the passengers leaving the plane, Dylan's heart sunk when he saw a man that looked _exactly_ like his father. He paused the TV and stared and stared. Mollie and Tommy tried desperately to break him out of his funk, but nothing was working. He was in a state of shock.

He went back and forth for the next few days trying to work this whole thing out. At times he thought it couldn't be possible, at times he thought it _had_ to be true, he just didn't know _what_ to think. Eventually, he went to see Christine, Jack's old handler who presented Dylan with the evidence that it couldn't have been Jack. The break in at his father's old storage container and his doppelganger appeared to be entirely unrelated incidences. As he'd told Kelly, they were just two unrelated events that were designed to kick him in the ass. He felt like he was reliving his father's death all over again.

Kelly had encouraged him to find the good in this, if at all possible. She encouraged him to find closure about his father, to size up exactly what had been going on in his life for the past 7 years. She also saw that he couldn't quite accept Christine's explanation. It all felt too _weird_. So, before she quit her PR job, she managed to obtain the names of the passengers on the flight and gave it to Dylan. She wanted him to get some piece of mind over the whole thing, to finally see that he wasn't there.

That evening at around 2am, Noah had broken through one of the apartment windows while drunk, completely terrifying the twins. Kelly figured the only place they would be calm was at the hotel with Dylan, so she took them round there. When she opened the door with the key he had given her a while back, she was surprised to see Dylan still awake and staring out the window.

"What are you guys doing here? It's almost 3am" he said as the twins ran to him and hugged him around his waist.

"Noah broke into our apartment through the window. They didn't really want to be anywhere else but here, understandably so. Can we crash?" Kelly asked.

Dylan nodded, "Of course you can. Why don't you two get into bed, we'll be in in a minute." He said as they ran into their bedroom to get settled, though Dylan figured they'd probably end up in his bed at some point.

Kelly walked around the sofa and noticed that Dylan had left a tray of waffles uneaten.

"Midnight snack?" she asked as she stood beside him and he continued to look out the window.

"Yeah, I couldn't eat it..." he mumbled as Kelly nodded.

"You know, Donna was saying she looks up every now and again and thinks she sees her dad. She knows he's gone but she's haunted by him." Kelly told him, figuring Jack was keeping him awake.

"You think I'm haunted by Jack?"

"I don't know... but maybe I was wrong to give you that flight list. I don't want you to get your hopes up-"

"The day my dad died, he reminded me that he used to sing me to sleep when I was a kid with that song 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game'"

Kelly smirked and nodded, "You used to sing that to Tommy and Mollie... I didn't realise that was why." She'd always thought it was an odd choice of song, but now it made sense because it was what Jack sung to him.

"Yeah... he made me sing it with him that night, before the big _wow_ finish" he said with a scoff. "I forgot how much we connected through baseball. We used to play catch all the time. We'd go to games, we'd read stories about it. Our favourite being The Natural."

Kelly nodded, "I saw the movie with Robert Redford."

"It's about a young man full of promise, gets shot by a woman, disappears then suddenly returns. That book is loosely based on a true story about a guy who played for Philadelphia in the 1940s. When the team was in a Chicago hotel, they went to this woman's room, she shot him and he battled for his life for a long time before coming back to play the following season. In the book the guy's name was Roy Hobbs, but in real life... his name was Eddie Waitkus." Dylan said as he handed Kelly the passenger list with the name Eddie Waitkus circled.

Kelly's mouth fell in complete shock. Could this be true? Was Jack McKay really alive?

"You think this is your father?" she asked quietly, having no idea what to say.

"I _know_ it is."

* * *

For the rest of the night, Kelly and Dylan stayed up and contacted every passenger on the list, hoping that somebody remembered something about this Eddie Waitkus. They were proving to have little luck and as the sun game up, they were running out of ideas.

"I can't believe _nobody_ remembers him" Kelly said as she took a big gulp of coffee to keep her going. There was no way in hell she was letting Dylan do this on his own.

"Yeah, I'm beginning to think somebody doesn't want this little family reunion to take place."

"We could go back to the FBI?" Kelly suggested.

Dylan shook his head, "They lied to me once, their story isn't changing. What if he's trying to send me a message and this is the closest he can get?" he asked as he looked back at the name.

"We should try the flight crew, maybe they would be more apt to remember someone." Kelly suggested as Dylan lifted the phone.

"That's a good idea."

"Listen, I'm going to get the twins up and dressed and to kindergarten and then I will be right back." Kelly said as she stood from the sofa.

Dylan quickly grabbed her hand, "Kelly, you don't have to do this-"

"Yes. I do." she insisted as she gave his hand a squeeze. "You would do the same for me... though all of the kindergarten moms are definitely going to judge me when I show up like this..." she said as she took in her disheveled appearance.

"Ugh, screw em. You look hot" he joked as Kelly flicked her hair.

"What would I do without you to boost my self-esteem?" she said as she fluttered her eyelashes.

"Crumble no doubt..." Dylan said as Kelly smiled widely and went into the twins room. She was glad that Dylan was starting to come out of his shell a little more and joke with her. She knew he had a long way to go over this thing with Jack, but it was the little moments like this that made her realise he would be ok no matter the outcome.

* * *

After taking the twins to kindergarten, Kelly went to check in with Matt after the events of last night. He wasn't exactly thrilled that Kelly was going to be spending the night at Dylan's, but she didn't want to leave the twins and they certainly didn't want to leave her. Matt also wasn't very sympathetic to Dylan's situation with his dad. When Kelly told Matt she believed Dylan was right about his father being alive, he was quick to say that it couldn't be possible.

_"Dylan's life derailed when he lost his father, you weren't there, you have no idea what he went through, you have no idea what this means to him."_ Kelly had told him. She had been there when his father died, hell, if Kelly hadn't called Dylan that morning_ he_ would have been the one who died in that car. She knew Dylan's guilt, she knew his suffering, she knew_ Jack_. No one else in Dylan's life could say they knew Jack and his relationship with Dylan. If Dylan was convinced then she was determined to support him. Matt eventually came round to the whole thing and agreed to help Kelly. He was more interested in putting this whole thing to rest than anything else.

They went to the airport to speak to the air stewardesses and managed to find out that Eddie Waitkus was from Arizona. When they travelled there they managed to obtain his address and when they got to his house, they saw that he had built a brand new life for himself. He had a wife and a son and Dylan had been left out in the cold.

"Dylan, you have to go to him." Kelly insisted the following morning. His father was alive and Kelly didn't want him to be filled with any regrets.

"From what I saw, his new life looks a lot better than his old one." Dylan grumbled as they stood by the car.

"Why? Because he has a wife and a little boy?"

"His_ son._" Dylan said bitterly. He couldn't believe he was standing here, jealous of a little kid. Jealous that he had been replaced.

"He has _two._ Come on, we'll get some breakfast, figure out what's next."

"You should get back to the kids." Dylan said as he shook his head. "Would hate for them to think their parents abandoned them too." he added bitterly.

Kelly realised that there wasn't much more she could do for Dylan. He had to make the next move himself without her and not because she pushed him to do it, because he actually wanted to. So, she went back to Beverly Hills and left him to it.

* * *

The following morning, Dylan walked into the Pit and saw Kelly and Tommy on one side of a table and Matt and Mollie on the other.

"Hi dad" Tommy greeted as Mollie looked upside down at him and smiled.

"Hey guys" he said, forcing a smile as he ran his hand over Mollie's ponytail.

"How did it go with—you know?" Kelly asked, not wanting to kids to ask too many questions they couldn't really answer.

"Not so good." Dylan grumbled.

"Why? What did he say?"

"I don't really want to talk about it..." Dylan said as he looked down at Mollie, "I'll see you two later" he said to the twins before kissing Mollie's head and leaving out the back door.

Kelly sighed and looked at Matt, "I will be right back..." she said before slipping out of the booth and following Dylan outside.

"Hey. What happened?" she asked as Dylan remained silent. "Dylan come on, talk to me."

"It's over."

Kelly sighed, figuring that Dylan's reunion with his father hadn't gone so well. "Dylan if your dad doesn't want you in his life then that is his loss."

"I couldn't even make is up the drive way." Dylan confessed. "He was sitting in the living room reading a news paper, his wife was off in the other room, his kid tucked in bed and I asked myself who is that guy? I decided he's a happy man."

"What about you and everything that's been taken away?" In that moment, Kelly didn't really care about Jack, she cared about Dylan and how this whole thing affected him.

"A conversation isn't going to change that. A million conversations couldn't."

"It might help you understand everything that's happened."

"Yeah and make everything else I've been through seem even more _pointless_. Why do you think I go on binges? _My dad died_. I push people away from me who try to get close, I never ever finish anything I start, why? Because _my dad died_? I don't know who I am without using my dad died as a crutch." Dylan said, finally confessing where he had been going wrong all these years. It was obvious to everyone else, but Dylan treated it like it was a mystery to him.

"That excuse doesn't work anymore because your dad is _alive_."

Dylan shook his head, "Not as far as I'm concerned. I don't have a family and I just need to accept that."

Kelly frowned and stepped forward, grabbing his hand in hers before he walked away._ "Hey._ Don't _ever_ say that. The moment I gave you half my cookie in kindergarten was the moment you became my family. Nothing will ever change that." she said sternly as she felt herself tear up. After everything they had been through together and apart, nothing would ever change how important they were to one another. They were family and they always would be and it wasn't just because of Mollie and Tommy. It was because of the love they had for each other and the lengths they would go for each other. It was unconditional love and it always would be.

Dylan gulped as he looked at Kelly, seeing the emotion in her eyes. He could never really put into words just how much he loved this woman. One day, he hoped he would be able to show her.

* * *

Kelly couldn't get Dylan out of her head for the rest of the day. She knew she shouldn't interfere, but she just had a terrible feeling that Dylan was making a mistake. So, she got Jack's number and stared at it for a solid _two hours_ that night, before she plucked up the courage, quickly dialled the number and waited.

_"Hello?"_ she heard Jack say down the line as she froze for a second before composing herself.

"Hi, is this Eddie Waitkus?"

_"Yes, this is Eddie, can I help you?"_

"Yeah uh... this is Kelly Taylor." Kelly said, as Jack was silent on the line. Kelly panicked, half expecting him to hang up, but he didn't.

_"Kelly... my god."_ Jack whispered down the line._ "How did you get this number? What is going on?"_

"It's a long story but... Dylan knows you're alive Jack. We went to Arizona to find you and he was going to talk to you but, he couldn't do it. Not when he saw the life you had built for yourself all while he thought you were dead." Kelly told him.

_"Dylan knows..."_ Jack repeated. He never thought he would be talking about Dylan ever again let alone to Kelly. _"I don't know how to explain myself"_

"You don't owe me an explanation Jack... but I really think you owe Dylan one. His life has been in turmoil since you died and that is in no way an exaggeration and now- I'm afraid about what knowing that you've been alive all this time will do to him." Kelly told him honestly. "You _have_ to talk to him."

_"You said he doesn't want to see me."_

"He may not want to see you but I know he has to. I didn't want to interfere with this, I really didn't, but I can't let Dylan regret this."

Jack laughed lightly down the line, _"I always told Dylan I didn't know where he would be in life without you Kelly."_

"I often don't know where I would be without him either." she replied quietly.

_"But... you said his life has been in turmoil..."_ Jack said, figuring something bad had gone down.

"I'll let him tell you about that but uh- we're not together anymore." Kelly said with a gulp.

_"I'm sorry to hear that."_

"But we did have two babies together" Kelly said, a small smile involuntarily forming on her face. "Mollie and Tommy. They'll be 6 in a few weeks and they are just _perfect_ Jack. They are everything good about Dylan and I and I would love for you to meet them."

_"Wow. Two babies. Knowing you and Dylan I'm sure they're magnificent."_ Jack said, tears forming in his eyes over the grandchildren he knew nothing about. _"I'm going to come to LA, talk to Dylan. Now that he knows, I can't just sit back here and pretend that he doesn't. That's not fair. If anything he needs closure... we both do."_

"Agreed... he's living at the Bellage, Suite 705." Kelly told him.

_"Alright, I'll be on the first flight out. Thank you for calling Kelly. It was really great to hear your voice again."_

Kelly smiled softly, "It was great to hear your voice too Jack, bye."

Kelly hung up the phone feeling even more sure about her choice. She knew Dylan would probably be mad at her, but she knew this was the best thing for him and for Jack.

* * *

When Jack showed up at Dylan's door that evening with a heartfelt apology in hand, Dylan was in no mood to hear it.

_"I saw your life, Jack. It looks a lot cosier than the urn I picked out for you."_

Dylan wasn't about to let Jack away with this lie, no matter how sorry he was about it. Did he have any idea how much time Dylan lost over this? How many things he _ruined_ because of it? That didn't matter anymore, because Dylan wasn't going to let him know. He didn't _deserve_ to know, so he showed him to the door.

The following morning, Dylan stood on Kelly's porch as he waited for her to get home from work. He couldn't wait to hear her reasoning behind calling Jack when she knew he wanted nothing to do with his father.

"Daddy!" Mollie said happily when she and Tommy ran around the corner.

"Hi twinnies" he said solemnly as Kelly immediately picked up on his mood.

"Twinnies why don't you go inside and put the TV on?" Kelly told them.

Tommy narrowed his eyes, "We're not allowed to watch TV on weekdays..."

"Well then count this as a special treat." Kelly told them as they quickly darted inside, ready to take full advantage of Kelly's good will. "I left you a couple of messages." she said as she set her bags down on the lounger.

"You were there, right? You were there when I said I didn't want to contact my father?" he asked.

"Dylan-"

"Just answer the question Kelly."

"You're mad, I knew you would be-"

"Well I'm glad you're at peace with it." He said sarcastically as Kelly moved to stand beside him.

"Yeah, actually, I am."

Dylan turned to look at her, "I don't need you making decisions based on what you think is best for me. My life is not yours to control."

Kelly decided to ignore Dylan's anger at her and get to the root of his despair. She knew that he would get over what she did. She knew he was really mad at Jack.

"I'm guessing he's in town then" Kelly said.

"He's in some motel..."

"Why don't you go see him?"

"Because if I wanted to see him I would have knocked on his door in Arizona." Dylan snapped, but Kelly was quick to stand her ground.

"You got scared of something you want too much. It's a _classic_ Dylan McKay move-"

"Can you stop psychoanalysing me please?"

"Dylan he is your father, he is risking his life to see you again!"

"Yeah, after seven years-"

"And I have seen what those seven years have done to you."

"Then you know that all of the_ shit_ I have been through isn't going to be fixed in _a week_! Cause that's how long he's here Kel. A measly _week_." Dylan said as he shook his head. Did Jack really think that a week could repair all that had been broken? Dylan was fairly sure he'd be spending the rest of his life fixing it.

"Life can change in a second. You and I both know that all too well." Kelly told him as he looked down at his feet knowing that that was true. Their lives changed when Dylan kissed her in her family's cabana the summer before senior year. Their lives changed when the doctor told Kelly she pregnant. Their lives changed when their babies arrived. Dylan's life changed when his father died, when Toni died, when he lost Kelly. All it took was a split second for their worlds to be changed. "Go to him Dylan. Tell him everything you've ever wanted to tell him. Even if it's just goodbye. I think closure on this would do you a hell of a lot of good."

* * *

It didn't take long for Dylan to realise that Kelly was probably right. He'd only have regrets if he didn't speak to Jack about everything, even if it was to have one final goodbye. So, he swallowed his pride and went to the motel to see him. When he got there, he found him packing his bags. Since Dylan showed a significant amount of hostility towards him, he had planned on leaving, but now he was here.

Dylan didn't really know what to say to Jack as he stood in front of him, he came in pretty pissed so Jack tried to find something to calm him down, so, he suggested he start by telling him about his two grand kids.

"Mollie and Tommy... they are a constant light on a very dark path."

"I saw some pictures in your hotel room. They look just like Kelly" Jack said with a soft smile.

Dylan chuckled, "Yeah, luckily for them. It's ok though, they got my sense of humour..." For only being little kids, they were terribly sarcastic and witty.

"They sound like just what you need."

"I haven't been the best father to them in the almost 6 years they've been on this Earth. God knows they deserve better... yet they still think I'm the best thing since sliced bread." Dylan said with a little smirk. He'd always been a little down on himself about his parenting but everyone around him was quick to tell him otherwise. He loved his kids to death and he would do absolutely anything for them.

"You must be doing something right if they think that." Jack suggested.

Dylan nodded, "Maybe... but I still think I've got some way to go before I can pat myself on the back." Dylan then remembered that Jack had a little boy of his own. He had a brother. It wasn't just him and Erica anymore. "What's your son's name?" he asked curiously.

"Jack" he replied with a smile.

Dylan snickered, "Your name's sake... of course a lot of people don't know that. Does your wife?"

All pretences of a father and son catching up were soon dropped in that moment and reality struck. Jack confessed that he'd told his wife about his criminal past, but he didn't tell her about Dylan. Dylan figured he mustn't have meant that much to him after all and walked out the door.

* * *

The following morning when Kelly called round to make sure he was ok, he was quick to take his anger out on her and she took it. She knew he needed to get it out and she was an easy target, but she also knew that this wasn't over. She knew that Jack came here for a reason and it wasn't to turn Dylan away. She knew Dylan would realise how important it was that he fixed things with his father.

Soon enough, Jack called and asked to meet him in an abandoned carpark late that night. Dylan reluctantly went and when he arrived, Jack told him that he was determined for them to be together again. Either he was leaving the witness protection programme or Dylan was coming in. Dylan was a little hesitant about letting his father back in to his life only for him to disappear again. He was especially hesitant of bringing a grandfather into Mollie and Tommy's lives only for him to abandon them too. That wasn't fair. He also didn't think it was fair for Jack to give up his safety for him—but he seemed determined. He wanted him to fly out and meet his wife and little Jack and they would work something out. They could certainly afford to pay for the extra security Jack may require.

Dylan quickly warmed to the idea when he heard how Jack had it figured out. He had a spring in his step when he knocked on Kelly's door the following evening to tell her about it—and to thank her. He delicately kissed her cheek and rested his cheek against hers for a lingering moment and thanked her.

_"You did this for me. I walked away but you made it happen so—thank you."_

_"I really didn't do anything-"_

_"You did everything. You always do everything."_

His dad was right when he told him all those years ago that he didn't know where Dylan would be without Kelly Taylor. Kelly just loved seeing Dylan so happy. It's like the pieces of his life were finally falling together. He had his kids, his dad, he was getting his degree... all he needed was the love of his life and that wasn't something he was giving up on any time soon.

* * *

Dylan's hopes and happiness were quickly dashed when Christine called him and revealed that a few of the men Jack testified against knew he was alive. They knew he was in LA and if he stayed there, they would find him. Dylan's mind was racing. It seemed so ridiculously cruel to bring Jack back into his life like this only to have ripped away in an instant. He thought about what he would say to him as he watched him walk away from him forever. He could get mad, he could not even show up... but then he remembered what Kelly had said to him a few days again.

_"Tell him what you have always wanted to tell him... even if it's only goodbye."_

Now was the time for him to get closure.

_"I hated you for a long time. You don't know what it's like to hate your father. It ruins everything. I don't hate you anymore."_

_"We can make this work-"_

_"No. This works. This finally works. Goodbye dad."_

It hurt to shut the door on his dad, but he realised that it was hurting him even more to leave it open. It was hurting him to grieve over this man for a moment longer than he should have. He got his closure, he put Jack in his past, and welcomed his future for the first time in a long time.

That night, he lay in his bed with Tommy and Mollie fast asleep, snuggled on either side of him. He wasn't really one to pray, but that night he prayed that they would never hate him like he hated Jack. He prayed that they would never feel abandoned by him or that he would never throw their lives into such turmoil.

He heard the front door open and soon saw Kelly appear in front of him. He'd left her a message explaining what happened and by the look on her face she'd just listened to it. She looked so sad for him and it made him tear up. They just remained in silence for a moment before she climbed onto the bed, straddled his lap and hugged him tightly, allowing his tears to fall. There was no one else Dylan would rather have than Kelly holding him. She was holding on to him as if their lives depended on it. There was also nowhere else that Kelly would rather be. She was there when Jack died the first time, she was going to be here as Dylan finally let him go.

She would _always_ be there.


	56. The Heart Wants What the Heart Wants

_So I've been doing a bit of writing over the past few days and will hopefully have two chapters with various flashes into Kelly and Dylan's future! Hopefully you guys will enjoy the brief glimpses.__Three official chapters left... Dylan gives Kelly a reminder of their past, Mollie gets a bad feeling and Matt's desires to leave LA aren't welcomed. Enjoy! _

* * *

Chapter Fifty-Six- The Heart Wants What the Heart Wants

A few short weeks after Jack's departure, Kelly noticed how Dylan's whole demeanor had changed. While he was still trying to sort everything in his life out, his seemed happier. He seemed more peaceful and controlled and it was wonderful to see. Things in his life were slowly but surely falling in to place and for the first time in a long time, Dylan was grateful to be alive.

He greeted Kelly and the twins with a smile one Friday morning when they walked out of the peach pit and into the carpark.

"Hey, you look busy" Dylan said as he noticed all the files Kelly was juggling.

"Crazed is more like it. I just signed Maddy on to her first job" she said proudly.

Dylan frowned, "I'm sorry, Maddy Sanders?"

"Yep! It's a commercial."

"Mom said we're too old to be in it, how unfair is that?" Mollie said with a pout.

"You don't want to be one of those child stars anyway, they never get to have any fun." Dylan reasoned with her. He and Kelly had grown up with their fair share of child stars in Beverly Hills so he certainly knew what he was talking about and he would never wish that life on his children.

"It's just a commercial dad, it wouldn't make us famous" Tommy added.

"I don't know Tommy, you guys are pretty cute, I'd sure turn you into child stars if I saw you on TV" Dylan told them as a small smile formed on their faces.

"Well I think you'll have to put your child star dreams on the back burner for now twinnies..." Kelly told them. "What are you doing standing out here anyway?" Kelly asked Dylan.

Before he could answer, Matt came zooming around the corner on a dirt back and Kelly pulled Tommy and Mollie closer to her to get them out of the way. As he came to a stop in front of them, Tommy looked at the bike with wide eyes.

"Wow... can I have a turn?!" he begged.

Kelly let out an awkward laugh, "Oh absolutely_ not_. What—what just happened?" she asked as she saw the smile on Matt's face.

"Dylan's doing a little riding in the desert this weekend." Matt told her as the men continued to admire the bike.

"You should come with, talk to Mike, he'll hook you up with one." Dylan suggested as Kelly looked completely dumbfounded. Matt and Dylan... _bonding_? The last time they tried to do that, things hadn't ended so well. "Good luck with your commercial Kel. Bye twinnies" Dylan said as he put his helmet on and sped away.

"Bye dad!" Mollie called. "Isn't that so cool mom?!"

"I don't know, it looks a little dangerous..."

"CR125, that is a beautiful machine." Matt said as they watched Dylan disappear.

Kelly pouted, "What happened to my sensitive man who cooks?"

Matt smirked, "My grandpa owned a farm in upstate New York, we used to dirt bike there all the time. My case load is light, I think I will tag along with Dylan this weekend."

The twins got into Kelly's car as she and Matt watched while they buckled themselves in, "What are you two going to talk about all weekend?"

"Nothing... oh. You think we're going to talk about _you_" Matt said with a smile.

"No... _maybe_." she conceded. "As you well know, Dylan and I have known each other since we were 5 years old so he has a _lot_ of stories, some not so flattering stories if we're being entirely truthful so... don't believe everything you hear." Kelly warned. She dreaded to think what Dylan would pull out of his memory bank, particularly from the ages of 14-16.

"Well now I know to believe everything I hear" he teased as Kelly shut the back door of the car.

"Have a nice trip. If you get hurt I'll kill you" she said with a sarcastic smirk.

Matt chuckled, "Ok, bye twinnies" he said as they waved at each other through the window.

* * *

It turned out that Kelly should have worried about a lot more than some old childhood stories spilling out on this weekend away. Dylan and Matt came across a group of dirt bikers who were throwing a party and ended up joining them. While there, Matt accidentally drank some drug infused punch and fell into bed with one of the girls there. Dylan was a little shocked that seemingly perfect Matt Durning could put a toe out of line, even while under the influence. He told Matt he wouldn't tell Kelly, at the end of the day it wasn't his place to do so, but he was waiting. _Patiently_. He knew this was bound to blow up in Matt's face at some point.

The following week, Matt and Kelly were eating breakfast in the Pit. Kelly had noticed Matt had been a little off about something and she figured it was because he discovered she accidentally smashed up his car a little. Of course he didn't have the heart to tell her that wasn't it, so he played along and told her that it was totally fine, no big deal. It just added to the illusion that Kelly thought Matt was the most decent person she had ever met.

"So, I was thinking... I want us to start planning our wedding." she said with a small smile.

Matt gulped, "Ok..."

"I'm serious. The way you handled me smashing up your car reminded me of how lucky I am to have you and I want to get married before you realise how much better you can do." she joked as she drank her coffee.

"Believe me, I'm the lucky one..." he said as he started shovelling his food into his mouth.

"Really? Handsome attorney who's not a dog? You could have any girl you want." Kelly said as Matt briefly choked on his food as Kelly frowned at him.

"Weren't we just talking about our wedding?" he asked just as Dylan walked in with the twins.

"Speaking of, there is the prettiest flower girl and the handsomest page boy Beverly Hills ever did see" Kelly said with a smile.

Mollie giggled lightly, "Morning momma"

"Good morning babies. We were just talking about where we should get married, I think it should be in a church" Kelly told them.

Tommy grimaced, "I don't know momma, your last church wedding didn't go so well..."

_"Tommy!"_ Kelly scolded as Dylan bit his lip to stop himself from laughing.

He awkwardly cleared his throat, "I think a church is a good idea. All that religious stuff and there's a confessional half way down the aisle."

Matt glared deeply in his direction. Was he really going to spend the next few months alluding to the fact that Matt had something to repent from? He was probably enjoying this.

Kelly rolled her eyes, "You _would_ think of that."

Dylan smirked at her and nodded his head, "Uh huh. Come on monsters, let's get you some pancakes before school" he said as they eagerly skipped over to their favourite booth.

* * *

A few nights later, Dylan was dropping the twins back to Kelly's apartment when she opened the door in a wedding dress.

"Oh, hi!" Kelly said with a little giggle, "I thought you were the pizza."

"Wow... you look like a princess!" Mollie said with wide eyes.

"Oh thank you baby" Kelly said with a little laugh as she quickly kissed them both. "Did you guys have fun tonight?" the twins had been begging Dylan to take them bowling of all places for weeks now, so he finally gave in that night.

"Yeah, but we missed you" Tommy said. "We should do more stuff together, just the four of us."

"I think that sounds like an excellent idea, right dad?" Kelly asked as she looked up at Dylan who hadn't quit staring at her since she opened the door.

"Right" Dylan said quietly.

"Ok say goodnight to dad" Kelly told them.

"Night daddy" Mollie said as she hugged Dylan and he kissed her.

"Night baby"

"Night dad"

"Night little man"

Tommy and Mollie darted inside in the hopes of getting some of this pizza Kelly had been talking about.

"You eloping?" Dylan asked as he nodded towards her dress.

"No, it's my mom's" Kelly said as she stepped away from the door and did a little twirl. "What do you think?"

Dylan scrunched up his nose, "smells like moth balls."

Kelly rolled her eyes, "Oh gee _thanks_... we just ordered some food, Matt's on his way home, why don't you join us?" she asked, but he remained silent and continued to stare at her. "What?"

"I was just realising this is the second time I've seen you wearing a wedding dress to marry someone else."

Kelly gulped, "Maybe this time you'll stay for the wedding."

"... maybe not." he replied. He really didn't think his heart could handle it. It was one thing losing her to his best friend, but somehow, this felt worse.

"Will you please stay?" Kelly asked quietly as she stood opposite him. She really didn't want him to feel like he couldn't be a part of their lives. He would always be family.

"I can't, I have to fax some papers to my accountant." he lied.

"Can't it wait till tomorrow?"

_"... you look beautiful_" Dylan said quietly before turning around and leaving Kelly standing there, all of a sudden feeling lonely.

* * *

A few weeks later, Dylan was sitting with the twins in the pit. He sat opposite and watched them carefully as they grumpily picked apart their pie and didn't say a word. It was very unlike them. They normally talked at 100mph.

"You two aren't as chipper as usual" he observed.

Mollie sighed, "It's been a long week..."

"... it's Tuesday." Dylan pointed out. Mollie certainly had a flare for the dramatic.

"That just proves my point." she replied. If she was saying it was a long week on Tuesday then it must have been particularly bad.

"Ok, what's wrong?" he asked as he looked between them.

"Mom and Matt set a date for their wedding" Tommy told him as Dylan nodded his head.

"So I hear." he replied. Matt and Kelly had cornered him that morning to tell him, but he was quick to tell them he had a dentist appointment that day.

"Unfortunately, we'll be in Baja that day." Mollie told him as Dylan smirked.

"Oh really?"

Tommy shrugged, "Can't be helped."

"Just like my dentist appointment..." Dylan grumbled. As funny as this situation was to Dylan, he knew that it wasn't fair to Kelly for the twins to be so negative about her impending marriage. "I thought you two were ok about mom marrying Matt?"

"We are ok with it... I just have a bad feeling" Mollie said as she leaned across the table as if it was some big secret.

Dylan frowned, "A bad feeling?"

"If Mollie has a bad feeling then you should _always_ take that under advisement." Tommy told him. "It's normally always right, it's like she has a sixth sense or something!"

"What have you had bad feelings about?" Dylan asked, wanting to hear more about Mollie's supposed 6th sense.

"_Gina_ for starters" Mollie said with an eye roll. She certainly wasn't going to be forgetting her any time soon.

Dylan shook his head, "You're 6 years old." he said in disbelief. How could she _possibly_ be so aware?

"When you know you know daddy..."

"What's your bad feeling about this time?" he asked. He guessed she was right to have one, Matt had cheated after all.

"That Matt has done something bad which means mom shouldn't marry him. I'm _going_ to get to the bottom of this." she said as she crossed her arms in defiance.

Dylan scoffed, "You're starting to sound like Gigi." he noted, knowing that Iris was probably actively encouraging this.

"Don't knock the psychic stuff dad, I'm starting to think it's legit..." Tommy said with wide eyes. Dylan remembered to _graciously_ thank Iris for influencing the twins in this way...

"Guys, I know it's a little weird seeing mom with Matt, but they are going to get married. We should support them and be happy for them." Dylan told them, though he certainly didn't enjoy saying it.

Mollie quirked an eyebrow, "Is that why you said you have a dental appointment the day of the wedding?"

"... I cancelled it." Dylan said, realising he'd been caught out by his daughter. "I will be there."

Tommy rolled his eyes, "Yeah, with bells and whistles on I'm sure" he said sarcastically. Dylan felt a little ashamed that he hadn't been subtle about his feelings towards Matt and Kelly's engagement around the twins. This was the last thing they need.

"You two are far too cynical for your age" he teased.

"We're just intuitive" Tommy said proudly.

Dylan chuckled and nodded, "Eat your pie..."

* * *

Mollie and Tommy's concerns about Kelly and Matt played on Dylan's mind for the rest of the day. If two six-year-olds could see the cracks then surely Kelly would see them soon too. Dylan was also concerned that as soon as Kelly found out the truth, she would come running straight to him. He wanted her to want him for him and not because Matt had hurt her. Yet, he didn't want to just sit around and wait for her to make her to want him. He decided that maybe a few subtle hints of his intentions and reminders of their past wouldn't go amiss.

In other news, Matt was looking into a potential job offer in a law firm in Seattle. Kelly wasn't too thrilled at the idea of leaving LA, but she was trying to be open minded about the whole thing. After all, this was a decision they had to make together and she knew they would make the best one for their family. Of course, when she first heard about it, the only thing that ran through her mind was Dylan.

That evening, Dylan pulled up a chair at Matt and Kelly's table in the After Dark.

"Hey" Kelly greeted, "Tommy and Mollie have informed me that you've cancelled your dental appointment for our wedding. It's _very_ sweet of you" she teased.

"Yeah, well, if they can cancel Baja, I can cancel the dentist" He grumbled.

Kelly frowned, "What?"

"... nothing. All three of us have the date circled in red on our calendars." Dylan replied as Kelly rolled her eyes. "Anyway, since you've set the date, it got me thinking" He said as he lifted out an envelope from his back pocket. "A wedding gift."

"Thanks..." Matt said cautiously as he took the envelope from Dylan.

"I know it's something you've always wanted to do Kel. Maybe you'll like it too" he said to them before standing up and walking away.

"What is it?" Kelly asked, completely confused by Dylan's gesture.

Matt opened the envelope and pulled out some plane tickets. "Plane tickets... they're open ended."

Kelly leaned back in her chair and let out a breath, finally realising what Dylan was up to. "A trip around the world."

Matt scoffed, "he doesn't go for understated, does he? He even threw in some tickets for Mollie and Tommy. Is this something you want?"

Kelly didn't really know what to say. A trip around the world would be an amazing experience, but that wasn't what made her want to go 5 years ago. She wanted to go because she would be going with Dylan. The only person she could ever imagine experiencing the world with was Dylan.

"It was once. But not anymore." Kelly finally replied. It technically wasn't a lie but she still felt guilty and mad and confused. What was Dylan trying to do? She felt more confused than ever about everything that was going on in her life.

While Matt talked with Noah and Steve later that evening, Kelly made her way round to Dylan's office to talk to him about this crazy gift idea. She stood in the door way and watched him work for a few moments before speaking up.

"I thought we were passed all this." she said as Dylan's head shot up.

"Passed what?" he asked as he stood from his chair and walked towards her.

"After everything with your dad, I thought we were finally just friends, I thought we were in a good place." Kelly said, though she wasn't sure she really believed it.

Dylan shrugged as he stood opposite her, "You're just really difficult to shop for."

"If it was meant as a reminder of the good old days—they weren't so good." Kelly said as she folded her arms and leaned against the wall.

Dylan smirked and stepped closer towards her, "I think we both know better than that" he said deeply as Kelly shifted uncomfortably. Any time Dylan got that close to her, things never ended well. "But it was meant as no more than a gift. If you're reading more into it than that, then that should be telling you something." Dylan felt a little guilty about his manipulation, but he was determined for her to see what was right in front of her.

"Yeah, it does. That we would be better off if you left me alone." she said with a gulp.

Dylan rested his hand above her shoulder on the wall, as they remained a breath apart. "You don't mean that." he said quietly.

"Oh yeah? Are you inside my head?" she asked as she kept her arms crossed in defiance, yet she couldn't find it in her to push him away.

"I've just known you for a long time and you're normally all talk." He challenged as Kelly glared. "Bottom line is... _you can't live without me_." he said as Kelly didn't reply. She couldn't tell him he was wrong because he wasn't. She had admitted as much to Donna not that long ago.

The look in Kelly's eyes was all Dylan needed to know that she knew he was right. He removed his hand and took a step back, sitting on the edge of his desk, taking his turn to cross his arms.

"But I guess I'll take the kids on a once in a life time trip around the world instead." he said with a shrug.

"They're 6 years old, they're not going to remember." Kelly told him.

"They're surprisingly intuitive for their age, and I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and videos. I'm sure you'll want to see what you're missing out on." Dylan told her confidently.

Kelly sighed, "I have to go." she said before quickly leaving the room, hating that he made her feel so flustered.

* * *

The following day, Matt and Kelly went tux shopping for the wedding. Matt decided that this was the perfect opportunity to try and convince Kelly to move to Seattle. He would be lying if he said he wasn't doing this for entirely selfish reasons. He wanted to move away so he could get rid of Dylan once and for all.

"You know... I was serious about moving." Matt began after Kelly told him she turned down Dylan's around the world offer.

"Did you hear about the job?" Kelly asked, not really wanting to have this conversation, but not wanting to shoot him down either.

"No, not yet. But I think we should start over, just the two of us." he said.

Kelly frowned, "And Mollie and Tommy." She was a little disheartened that he was quick to forget about her children. Did he really think she'd just leave them behind?

"Yes, of course. I really think this could be good for us." he insisted.

"You do realise that you're asking me to turn my life upside down? You're asking me to turn my children's _world_ upside down." The twins loved LA. They loved the beach, they loved their school, they loved their many aunts and uncles and of course, both their parents were there.

"I know-"

"I'm not sure I want to do that, they're already on edge about the wedding but making them move their home as well?"

"I don't want you being offered trips around the world every 5 years." Matt blurted out, raising his voice a little as Kelly finally realised what Matt was doing. This wasn't about them. This was about _Dylan_.

Kelly shook her head, "Us moving isn't going to get rid of Dylan. In fact, nothing is going to do that, I do not want that at all." she made clear.

"Of course he'll always be around... but only for Mollie and Tommy. He doesn't have to be around us."

Kelly took a step back and sighed before putting her hands on her hips, "I want my children to see their parents as friends. To see them having a good relationship because my parents didn't and neither did Dylan's and honestly? It kind of screwed us up."

"I know I am asking a lot." Matt said as he walked towards her and put his hands on her arms. "But please—just think about it."

* * *

That evening, the gang decided to throw Donna one last Christmas in the Martin house before Felice sold it. She couldn't live in that big old house without Dr. Martin anymore and Donna was devastated, but this move by her friends made her a little less sad about the whole thing.

Dylan stood back and watched as David lifted the twins up to reach the top of the tree to put the decorations on. He also watched as Kelly beamed ear to ear at their joy over having Christmas in June. They couldn't quite wrap their head around how cool this was.

Dylan's trance was broken when Matt came over and they sat down on the steps into the living room.

"You know, at first, I thought you were going to tell Kelly about Amy and then you didn't I thought maybe he's a stand up guy." Matt said.

Dylan rolled his eyes, "I'm sensing you've revised your opinion..."

"A trip around the world Dylan? Isn't that a little obvious? Even for you."

"I was just trying to be generous." Dylan insisted, but he couldn't help but smirk a little at how much this was getting to Matt.

"If you want to be generous then why not get us one of the place settings we registered for or the fish fork?"

"... fish fork?" Dylan asked.

Matt sighed, "Here's how I figure it. You didn't tell Kelly about what happened because you care about her and you don't want to see her hurt and because you know she and I are very happy together."

"Did you figure that out all by yourself?" Dylan asked sarcastically as he could practically see the steam coming out of Matt's ears.

"You didn't tell Kelly about Amy and that was the right thing to do, it was respectful, but the trip around the world? Not so respectful. Look, I know it's probably hard, having to see me and Kelly around all the time, especially with Mollie and Tommy-"

"Who are just your number one fans..." Dylan grumbled.

Matt sat up straighter, "We're getting there..." he knew they didn't hate him, but he also knew he hadn't really won them over yet. "But we might be moving pretty soon. So that should make it a little easier for you. I'm sure the twins would love Seattle."

"Dad, come help!" Tommy called from David's shoulders.

"I'll be right over" he called back as Matt stood up to walk away. "_Hey._" Dylan said forcefully as he stood up and Matt turned back around. "It is one thing to keep me away from Kelly, but if you _ever_ do _anything_ to jeopardise my relationship with my kids- I won't be so damn respectful." he warned before he walked over to the kids and lifted Mollie onto his shoulders.

* * *

Matt continued to hound Kelly the next day about the Seattle thing. Since his talk with Dylan yesterday, he was getting more and more anxious to go. Even when he heard he didn't get the job that morning he still wanted to go much to Kelly's disbelief.

"We can get new jobs. You said you were willing to go" Matt reminded her. She did promise to think about it.

"Yeah, if we were going for something, not it just feels like we'd be running away." Kelly told him as they walked along the beach.

"From Dylan?" Matt boldly asked as Kelly stopped to look at him.

"Did I miss something? When did this become about Dylan?"

"Oh, let's see, since the day I met him?" He challenged.

"You have this idea of him or me and him together, this_ ridiculous_ idea-"

"You have two children together Kelly and a hell of a lot of history. It is not ridiculous. Not in the slightest and even if it was ridiculous—I'm still asking you to do this for me. Will you do this for me?" he asked as Kelly remained silent. She really wasn't sure how far she was willing to go for Matt and that made alarm bells ring in her head.

* * *

That night, Dylan stood in a carpark by the pier waiting for Kelly. He'd called her and asked to meet him because he had to do something. He tried to be coy about it, but he had to fight for her. He had to stop her from going, he had to tell her he was ready. He knew it was selfish, he knew it was unfair, but he had to do it. He just _had to_.

"It won't work" he said as she walked towards him.

"What?"

"Leaving."

Kelly nodded, realising that Matt must have told him about Seattle. "Is that why you wanted to meet me here? So, you could tell me not to leave?"

"That and to ask if you wanted to go bowling." he said sarcastically as Kelly rolled her eyes.

"Dylan, I'm not going to take your kids away from here, even though you were about to leave for South America not too long ago-"

"This isn't about Tommy and Mollie—I mean, of course I don't want them to go, but right now, I'm talking about _you and me_." he made clear as Kelly tried to keep herself composed.

"I haven't decided to go anywhere."

"I tried, it doesn't help you forget." he told her. He knew all too well about running away. He also knew too well how much Kelly hated that he did it when things got too tough, so he was surprised that she was considering doing the same.

"You can't do this Dylan."

"Do what?"

_"This!_ Meeting me here now, at the last minute."

"Why not?"

"Because!" she said, growing more and more frustrated.

"Because? Because you don't want to?"

"I _don't._" she said firmly.

"Because it's confusing? You're leaving because of me?"

"I didn't say I was leaving." Kelly said through her teeth, hoping that this time it would finally sink in for him.

"If you do?" he challenged.

Kelly stood up straighter, "It won't have anything to do with you."

"I'm glad you're clear on that, because a couple of months ago, you were saying something to me about commitment. Something about me committing to you and not just a little bit. All or nothing." he reminded her.

"You chose_ nothing._" Kelly reminded him as her voice broke a little bit.

_"Let me choose again."_

Kelly froze for a minute, feeling like this was all one big dream. Was he really standing here telling her he was ready? What kind of person would she be to give in to him right now? She knew she couldn't be so quick as to take him back, not when she had no reason to love him more than Matt. But... _The heart wants what the heart wants._

"You can't, it's too late." she finally said, determined not to make it so easy for him.

"No, it's not. Not when everything is sitting right at our feet. Not when we have the chance to be a family we and the kids have always wanted." he insisted.

"I have to go" Kelly said as she tried to walk away, but Dylan grabbed her and pulled her back.

"No, you don't."

The stood a breath apart as Dylan held onto her hand and their noses brushed. Kelly closed her eyes and tried to control her breathing. Even having him holding her hand like this made her feel so secure and so loved and so alive. Imagine having someone in your life that makes you feel _everything_ from _nothing_.

"Why is it too late?" Dylan asked quietly as their lips hoovered dangerously close to one another. It felt like electricity was coursing through their veins and that if they just moved a centimeter closer it would be _explosive_.

"Because... _it is_." Kelly whispered unconvincingly before slipping away from Dylan and bolting to her car.

What the _hell_ was she doing?


	57. Point Of No Return

* * *

_Time to find out a little more on those letters Kelly wrote! Enjoy _

* * *

Chapter Fifty-Seven- Point Of No Return

Kelly was frustrated. After Dylan's little confession he had been expertly avoiding her and when he did see her, be barely said two words. She hated this cycle they had gotten themselves into. They were friends, their feelings became an issue, they pushed each other away, they fought, they made up and then they did it all over again. It was exhausting and Kelly wasn't sure how much more she could handle.

She and Donna decided to go summer shopping the day after it all went down and Kelly could barely concentrate on what Donna was saying. Something about her relationship with David and how it was in a weird place... what else was new?

"I guess I always knew how I felt about David, I was just really scared to take that leap, you know?" Donna said as Kelly just hummed a response and Donna finally picked up that her mind was elsewhere. "Speaking of taking that leap... how _is_ Dylan?" While Donna really did love Matt, she was _seriously_ routing for Dylan. Their love was _epic_ and she thought it would be a shame to see it disappear.

"He's not talking to me which is so obnoxious because everything was _fine_." Kelly said through her teeth.

"You are the one who said all or nothing..." Donna reminded her. She had been the one to plant the idea in Dylan's head in the first place, but of course he was working in his own time.

"I didn't mean it so _literally_. I should never have let him narrow down the categories, there is a lot between all or nothing." Kelly said, finding any reason she could not to give in to Dylan. She was terrified over what could happen if she did. His love scared her because she had never felt anything so real.

"You've pretty much done all the stages in between. Considering you've known each other for 20 years, maybe it is a case of all or nothing." Donna suggested. It was just impossible for them to start fresh. Not with their history.

"I'm going to need long underwear if I move to Seattle..." Kelly mumbled as she looked through some lingerie.

Donna frowned, "Are you really still considering this?"

"I don't know, maybe." she said quietly. "You know, every time I think about it, the first thing that comes into my head is how much Mollie and Tommy hate the cold. I can barely put a fan on in the apartment without them complaining."

Donna smirked, they really were summer kids. They loved the beach and the ocean and they would run around in shorts and a t-shirt all year round if they could. "Maybe that's your subconscious' way of telling you that you shouldn't move. Even if it does seem like a completely ridiculous reason."

Kelly sighed, "I just don't understand what goes on in Dylan's head." she randomly blurted out as Donna saw her frustration.

"Uh- he doesn't want you to marry someone else because he's been stupidly in love with you since he was 5 years old?" Donna suggested as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She was right though—it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I don't want his attitude at my wedding" Kelly said, choosing to ignore Donna's comments while she processed them. "I'm going to talk to him this afternoon."

"Don't bother, I talked to him this morning, he said he's going to be surfing at Point Doom all day." Donna told her.

Kelly scoffed, "Well you have to admire his work ethic..." she sarked.

* * *

Later that morning, Kelly was driving through Beverly Hills with Matt. They were on official wedding business today and now they were on route to meet with a potential caterer.

"Oh, this caterer did Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie's wedding" Kelly said as she looked through her ring binder.

Matt laughed, "That is too good..."

"He said he's going to have some samples of appetisers and wines. You don't have to go back to office, do you?"

"Nope, I am in full bride groom mode."

"Good" Kelly said with a smile as she turned the radio up.

_"A surfer fatality at Point Doom and a rip tide at Carbon Canyon Beach have the highway patrol and medical personnel in the area..."_

Kelly's heart sunk to the pit of her stomach and she felt her breathing becoming harsher.

"Dylan was at Point Doom today." she said quietly.

"There were warnings, they closed the beaches because the waves were so high." Matt told her.

"Then I _know_ he's there." Kelly insisted. Dylan was never one to back down from a rough surf, if anything it egged him on further.

"Kelly the odds are so slim."

Kelly ran her across her forehead and took a deep breath, "I feel_ sick._" She couldn't remember the last time she felt so afraid and so anxious. This couldn't be happening, this had to be a dream. Dylan was right, she couldn't live without him, she _needed_ him, she _wanted_ him.

"Kelly-"

"I know this is crazy Matt, but we're not far from there, can we go, please?" she practically begged as Matt let out a breath and nodded his head.

When they got there, they saw the body being loaded into the back of an ambulance and Kelly _freaked_. She then saw a range rover that was identical to the new one Dylan had bought recently. She didn't know the number plates yet and she couldn't tell if Mollie and Tommy's car seats were in the back or not.

"Kelly it's not Dylan. You're going to see him again. Believe me, he's going to be that same old _mope_ is always was." Matt tried to assure her but his words were falling on deaf ears.

Somehow, she managed to convince him to take her to the morgue to find out if it was him or not. She had tried calling him again and again but he wasn't picking up. Her heart was beating so fast and her mind was filled with regrets over their relationship and where they had gone wrong.

"His name is Dylan McKay, he has been my family since I was 5 years old, he is the father of my children—we are his only family, so please. If it's not him, will you just tell me?" Kelly pleaded with the doctor in the morgue who wouldn't tell her a thing.

Before she could plead anymore, Kelly's phone started to ring and she quickly answered it, hoping to hear only one raspy voice on the other end.

"Hello?"

_"Kel, it's me"_ Dylan said down the line as Kelly let out a breath and walked away from Matt and the doctor.

"... I thought I lost you." she said quietly down the line.

Dylan frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"Where are you? I have been calling you all day!" she scolded.

"Yeah, no kidding, I just checked my messages." He said with a little laugh. "I hoped the train up North."

"North where?"

"Anywhere. That's the point. I'm in Salinas it's north of Monterrey. I was riding the rails."

Kelly glared down the line, "So you just hoped the train, no ticket, no passenger car, no nothing?" He truly was a world class_ idiot._

"I know it's stupid and dangerous, you can start bitching at any time-" Dylan said, preparing himself for her lecture, but it never came.

"Thank god you're ok." Was all she said.

Dylan raised an eyebrow, still entirely confused as to why she called. "You keeping tabs on me Taylor?"

"No, that's not it-"

"Well, what is it?" he asked, but Kelly remained silent, struggling to find the words to express how she felt. She was confused, scared, relieved, overjoyed. "Kelly?" he asked again.

"I was wrong about something." she said quickly as Dylan remained in a stunned silence. "goodbye." she said quickly as she hung up the phone and Matt walked over.

"So, he's ok?" Matt asked as he rubbed Kelly's back.

"Yeah, he's ok. I need to get home to my kids." she said as she turned around, wanting nothing more than to hug them tightly and never let them go.

* * *

The next day, Matt and Kelly were sitting in the Pit when Dylan walked through the door. He ordered some lunch with Nat, well, more like Nat predicted his order exactly before turning around and walking over to Kelly and Matt.

"So, I'm around today if you need to get a hold of me" Dylan teased gently, still having no idea why she called him.

"You know why she called." Matt snapped.

Dylan stuffed his hands in his pockets, "No, actually, I don't."

"It doesn't matter, ok?" Kelly said looking between Dylan and Matt. She was trying so hard not to make a big deal out of her fear, but she sensed this was one of those moments that there was no turning back from.

"I'm going to go pay the bill" Matt said as he stood up and left the table and Dylan took his seat.

"A surfer at Point Doom drowned yesterday. Donna told me you were up there." Kelly explained.

"I wasn't, change of plans."

"Just the thought that that could have been you..." Kelly said, letting her thought trail off.

"Made you call all over town looking for me?" He questioned as he quirked an eyebrow.

Kelly scoffed, "we ended up at the morgue."

Dylan paused for a minute and just looked at her. She was so desperate to hide how she was feeling but it wouldn't work on him. He could see right through her, he always could.

"What are you doing Kelly?" he asked quietly.

"I was worried, irrational-"

_"What are you doing with your life?_" he challenged. "Matt- he went to the _morgue_ with you?" he asked in disbelief.

"He was great to me during all of it. Can you believe that? My fiancé didn't say a _word_ when I asked him to take me to the morgue to see if my ex was lying in a body bag." she said, knowing how completely ridiculous the whole thing sounded.

"I'm a little more than an ex, don't you think?" he asked as Kelly remained silent. "But... I guess I can see why he's the kind of guy you'd want to hold on to."

Dylan knew exactly what Kelly saw in Matt. He was everything she was supposed to want in a man. He was kind, thoughtful, decent, sweet, loving, stable. She felt like if she didn't want that then she must be crazy. But Dylan thought she was crazy for not wanting someone who made her heart race and her breath catch in her throat.

After all, she wanted a love that made her swing from chandeliers.

* * *

_"Dylan gives me one ultimatum and he ignores me once and the only way I can think of him not in my life is if he's dead. I was so scared when I heard about that surfer at Point Doom. I couldn't breathe. I just kept hearing his name over and over screaming in my head and I kept seeing the most random memories of us over the last 20 years. Some moments I will hold on to for the rest of my life and some moments that I have a few regrets about."_

After telling Donna what had happened today, there was only one logical explanation her friend could come to about Kelly's actions.

_"That doesn't sound like fear, that sounds like love."_

In that moment, Kelly couldn't deny it because her best friend was completely right. She was totally, completely, madly in love with Dylan and she had been denying it for years. She had been pushing him away because she was afraid it might destroy her but she couldn't do it anymore. Today had proven that. She couldn't not love him because trying to forget him might just destroy her too.

She had to do something. She felt like a bumbling _mess_ but she _had_ to do something. The following morning, she dropped the twins off at kindergarten and made her way round to Dylan's hotel suite with a cardboard box in hand. She never thought she would ever part with its contents, but she knew she had to. She knew she had to lay her heart on the line for him. She knew that they both gave their hearts away a long time ago and they never got them back. She also knew she never wanted to get it back.

"Hi" she said quietly as Dylan opened the door to her. "Do you feel like going for a walk along the beach? It's a beautiful day."

Dylan merely shook his head before walking back into the living room and lounging on the sofa. Kelly followed him into the room, setting the box down on the dining table before sitting beside him.

"You're not going to let me back in, are you?"

"What's the point? You're marrying someone else. You want me to say that I'm happy for you? I'm not." he said truthfully. He was finally done skirting around the issue.

"I'm glad. I mean—I'm glad that you're being straight with me. That you're saying things that need to be said. Before-" she began, but didn't finish her sentence.

"What? Before what?" he pried further.

"Truth is... I can't imagine having you without imagining losing you to another woman or an addiction or your inevitable lack of interest." she told him honestly. Dylan had always been unpredictable and she was scared of what that might do to her.

"You already said no to me once, I don't need to hear it again."

_"Maybe I'm not repeating myself."_ she said as he voice cracked and her eyes watered. This wasn't her rejecting him. This was her telling him she wanted him, but she was scared to fully give herself to him, just like he had been scared to give himself to her. Their love was so intense that it could either be the best thing for them or the most destructive. "It isn't right-"

"So what did you come here for then? To say you want to be friends?" he asked. If she was going to resist, why was she telling him all these things?

"I want to take a walk with you."

"Taking a walk isn't going to get us anywhere. It's not going to get us_ here._" he said as he lifted her hand and ran his finger over her engagement ring.

Kelly let a stray tear fall down her cheek before standing up and walking towards the table, resting her hand on top of the box. Dylan stood up and put his hands in his pockets.

"What's in the box?" he asked.

"I uh—I have something to confess to you." she said as she continued to look down. "Do you remember all of those letters you wrote to me?"

"Yeah, the ones you keep in a box under your bed." he said with a knowing smirk.

Kelly furrowed her eyebrows, "How do you know that?"

"I wouldn't trust Mollie and Tommy with any of your deepest darkest secrets."

Kelly scoffed, "Right..." she said. She should have known they would know about her secret box. "The day you left Beverly Hills you wrote me one of those letters. I read it and I put it in a box with all your other letters and I just stared at them and it occurred to me—I never replied to any of them. Not one. So, I replied to them all and then I just kept writing." she said as she lifted the box and walked towards him. "There are over 200 letters in here and they're all addressed to you." she said as she handed him the box, watching him gulp. He clearly wasn't expecting his. How could he expect this?

"I could never pin why I wrote these." she confessed with a little awkward laugh. "I wrote them when I missed you, when I was mad at you, when the twins smiled and all I saw was you in their faces. Over the past two years I mainly wrote them because I was afraid." she said as she allowed more tears to run down her face, unable to hold back her emotions anymore. "I was afraid of you and the way that you make me feel. I wrote them—because my love for you was so consuming and at times over whelming I had to do something with it because I was scared to turn to you. You wanted to know what I've been doing with my life... this. This is what I've been doing... and there's no going back."

Dylan remained in a stunned silence at her words. For the first time in a long time she was accepting her feelings for him and allowing them so flow through her. It was quite honestly euphoric—but Dylan had no idea what to say. He wasn't prepared for this in the slightest.

Kelly thought she had really freaked him out, so she turned to leave him and his thoughts, but that wasn't the case at all. She had filled him with so much joy in that moment with a hint of sadness that she had been so scared to love him again. Before she could open the door, Dylan did the only thing he could think of. He set the box down, he rushed towards her, turned her around and kissed her with everything that was in him

* * *

_I think you're really going to enjoy tomorrow's chapter..._


	58. Ode to Joy

_This is a super long chapter to wrap this part of the story up. Your patience is about to pay off! I considered splitting it up but I just didn't want to drag this out for any longer. There's a lot to digest here but it will hopefully have been worth the wait!_

_In regards to the next two chapters- there might be a bit of a delay with posting them, just because I need to finish the final one and then do a bit of editing, but know that they are coming and they will be with you ASAP! _

_I hope you like how things finally fall into place for DK in this chapter as we also take a little trip down memory lane...__Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter Fifty-Eight- Ode to Joy

Before things went too far between them, Kelly told Dylan she needed to talk to Matt first and sort a few things out. After all, she was engaged to the guy. This wasn't something she could so carelessly toss aside, despite what her recent actions indicated. When Kelly went to speak to Matt, however, he dropped the bomb on her that his brother had been killed in a car accident. Matt was devastated and felt so lost. Kelly travelled with him to New York for the funeral. When she was there she decided that for the time being, she needed to not drop another bombshell on him. She wasn't about to dump him right after his brother's death but she also wasn't about to string him along.

Dylan's words to her when she came back were stuck on her mind.

_"David can't figure out how two people who are obviously meant for each other can't get together. Tell you the truth—neither can I."_

David may have been talking about Donna in that moment, but Kelly knew _Dylan_ was talking about _them_. He respected her decision to wait and take a breath and let Matt sort out his head a little before having the conversation with him, but he was eager for the day when he could finally hold her in his arms again. He was eager for their future.

While Kelly helped Matt through his grief, Dylan was steadily working his way through his own turmoil- Kelly's letters. He put off reading them for a while. He was scared of what he might find. Kelly had said they were written in moments of pain and anger. He wasn't sure he wanted to experience her hurt because he knew it would damage him too. But, he also knew that this insight into Kelly's mind was a rare and valuable thing. So eventually, he took the plunge and began reading them.

_Everything is better in life because I get to experience it with you._

_I look at you and know that no other person could ever make me feel the way that you do._

_I pushed and I pushed because what we had was so destructive, despite knowing that it was just as fulfilling. _

_You constantly think I am angry with you, rather than realising that I am hurt, and there is a huge difference._

_You walked away from me and I kept expecting to come back... but you never did. So I closed myself off. I ran towards things I figured would never hurt me, but the hole in my heart where you used to be was never filled._

It was hard reading such words coming from Kelly. Sometimes Dylan was filled with joy at what she said, whether it was about them or about something funny the twins had done. But a lot of the time, it was just hit after hit. While she let her anger loose on Dylan, she had also acknowledged her part in the pain they had caused. She had been no saint in their relationship, especially over the last few years, and she knew that.

While it was hard, Dylan was also incredibly grateful for these letters. He knew he would always cherish them, just like Kelly cherished his, and he hoped that this was something they could continue doing for the rest of their lives.

* * *

In other news, after all his work throughout the year, Dylan was finally graduating from college. He'd actually seen something through and he was proud of himself—though acting as cool as he could about it. He only told Mollie and Tommy about it, not wanting to make a big song and dance of it, but he should have known better than to think they wouldn't let it slip.

The day of the graduation, he stood in front of the mirror in the hallway trying to tie his tie when there was a knock at the door. He swiftly opened it to reveal Kelly and the twins.

"Hey" he greeted as they came in.

"Hey, bad time?" Kelly asked.

"For you three? Never." he said with a small smile. "I never did learn how to tie one of these..." he said. He could remember countless times where Kelly had to do the honours.

"Well then it's a good thing I'm here them. What's the occasion?" she asked as she started fiddling with the tie.

Dylan shrugged, "Nothing worth breaking the old monkey suit out for."

Kelly raised her eyebrows, "I don't know about that..." she said as she looked towards the twins who were standing beside their parents with guilty looks all over their faces.

"What happened to our little secret?" Dylan asked. He wasn't really annoyed that the twins blabbed...

"We couldn't let you go through this alone dad, it's so exciting!" Tommy told him as Dylan realised that they didn't even blab by accident.

"Yeah, we should all be there." Mollie insisted.

"Don't worry, I've double sworn them to secrecy now and I won't tell anybody else either... if you let us come along" she blackmailed as Dylan sighed.

"It's private..." he insisted.

"Even for your family?"

In that moment, the pact they made when they were 14 years old sprung to Kelly's mind. They were determined to be there for each other in their highs and their lows and right now Kelly didn't want to miss this moment. Like in the past, Kelly had always clung onto their friendship. Even when they were together, the fact that they were the best of friends had a huge part to play.

_"Let's promise not to deal with everything ourselves. Let's promise to always be there for each other, to always be in each other's corner, to always talk to each other and fight for one another. You are one of a kind Dylan McKay and I don't want to ever let you go."_

_"We promised that whenever we were in trouble, we would always be there for each other, we would always talk to each other because that was better than going through anything alone."_

_"We're cut from the same cloth. We just get each other. Our personalities couldn't be more opposite and our interests are snooze fests to each other but- It's easy to talk to each other about stuff. You'd be amazed how often our problems are the same. We've always had this spark and I can't describe it. I doubt I ever will be able to."_

_"Thanks for never giving up on me Kel."_

_"I never will."_

_"I miss you. I miss our friendship. I miss teasing each other about the stupidest things, I miss getting some peach pie with you every Thursday. I miss talking to you about anything and everything. I miss my best friend."_

_"Something tells me I'll always need you."_

"You two would be bored stiff." Dylan told the twins as Kelly was snapped out of her thoughts.

Mollie furrowed her eyebrows, "That's very presumptuous daddy."

Kelly realised that Dylan wanted to do this on his own, but she wasn't about to let the event go uncelebrated. "Ok, if you won't let us come, will you at least let us take you out to dinner to celebrate?"

"Ok, but only if you let me pick the spot." Dylan agreed.

Kelly thought about it for a moment before pointing at him, "As long as it's not some dump then it's a deal." she said as she patted his finished tie against his chest. "There you go."

"Thanks"

Kelly smiled softly, "Who would have thought? You actually seeing something the whole way through..."

"If you don't like it, I don't have to do it again" he teased as he poked her sides.

Kelly chuckled, "I kind of like it. I'm proud of you."

"We're proud of you too dad."

"Super proud!"

Dylan smirked, "Thanks twinnies. Come on, I gotta go" he said as they all left the suite together.

* * *

While Dylan was at his graduation, Kelly took the twins to the pier and Matt soon joined them. While the twins ran on ahead and messed around, Matt expressed his feelings to Kelly about Julianne's baby. He was after all the biological father and since Patrick was now gone, he felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility to the baby.

"If it was up to me, I'd be the baby's father, but it's not, it's up to us and if me being the best uncle in the world to that baby is what we decide to do, then that will be amazing I'm sure." Matt told her as he wrapped his arm around Kelly's shoulder. He really didn't want to be just an uncle to this baby, but he knew he had to put his relationship first in this instance.

"Don't you think it's a little hypocritical to talk about how much this baby needs a father but berate Dylan as a father any chance you get and want to take his children to Seattle?" Kelly challenged.

Matt frowned and stopped walking, "When did this become about Dylan?"

Kelly sighed, "It didn't, I just saw the connection and I wanted to draw attention to it. Maybe make you see how important Dylan is to my kids." She always thought that was something Matt just couldn't understand.

"To your kids or to you?"

"... both." Kelly replied honestly.

"Kelly, what is going on?" Matt asked. He'd noticed she'd been a little off with him since last week but his mind had been pretty occupied so he wasn't really thinking about it.

"I just—I need to be alone for a while. I need to think. Is that ok?" she asked.

"Ok" Matt said with a nod. "I got you and the twins those gross avocado and sprout sandwiches you love" he said as he handed her the paper bag. "There's a couple of chocolate bars in there too just for safe keeping." he said with a small smile that Kelly returned. Despite the twins not overly warming to him, she couldn't deny that he would make a wonderful father. He was calm and concerned and a real problem solver. "We're going to figure this out. I promise." he said as he kissed her lightly before walking away.

Kelly stood by herself for a moment before Tommy and Mollie came running over.

"Are you ok mom?" Mollie asking, instantly picking up that she looked a little down.

"Yeah, I'm ok hon" Kelly said as brushed Mollie's cheek with her thumb. "Matt got us some lunch" she said as they started walking on.

"Nice" Tommy said as he looked in the bag. "Where do you think dad's going to pick for dinner tonight?"

"I don't know but I hope it's that place in town that does the insanely good pizza!" Mollie expressed excitedly.

Kelly chuckled, "I'm sure you could twist his arm to go there."

"Mom, isn't it so cool that dad is graduating?" Tommy asked happily. Mollie and Tommy were so excited for their dad. They didn't quite grasp the actual magnitude of Dylan seeing something through, but they knew graduating from anywhere was a big deal.

"It sure is bud."

"and he's so happy about it!" Mollie added, "Come to think of it, he's been in a really good mood the past couple of days."

"Why's that?" Kelly asked.

"I think it's to do with you." Tommy told her.

"What do you mean?"

"You two have been really nice to each other lately and he loves you a lot, so it makes him happy." Tommy expertly observed. As the pieces of his life started to fall into place, Dylan's overall demeanour had improved drastically. He was more upbeat and less broody.

"You think?"

"I _know_ he loves you. It's in the eyes! Come on Mollie" Tommy said as he and his sister ran on ahead again leaving Kelly with the smallest of smiles on her face.

* * *

Kelly thought about her predicament for the rest of the day. She thought about Matt and how eager he was to always to the right thing and to look after people. She wondered how she could ever give a man like that up. But she thought about Dylan too. He was generous, he was charming, but he was also notoriously selfish and she wasn't entirely convinced he would be able to put someone else's feelings ahead of his. Meaning, _her_ feelings of course. He had let her down in the past, and she wasn't convinced she could handle the let down again.

When she arrived at Dylan's suite that evening, she decided she needed to talk about this immediately.

"We have a problem" she said as Dylan let her in to the suite.

"The kids not coming?" he asked, expecting to also see them.

"They're downstairs with Hector. Matt is a really great guy." Kelly continued as Dylan shoved his hands in his pockets, already not liking where this was going. "He is thoughtful, he wouldn't lie to me, he would do anything for me."

"Oh... so, what's the problem exactly?" Dylan asked as he scratched the back of his head.

"You know what the problem is." Kelly said as she dropped her purse on the sofa and put her hands on her hips.

"... why don't you tell me what it is anyway?" Dylan asked, really not knowing where Kelly was going with this.

"You're not thoughtful. I can't trust you and you wouldn't do anything for me."

"That's not true." Dylan said immediately. Surely she should know by now that he would go to the ends of the earth for her? Then again, he hadn't always been the man she thought he was. He had let her down, he had hurt her.

"It's how I feel." she said quietly as he stepped towards her.

"You have to give me a chance. I'll make you feel differently." he insisted as he rested his hand on top of hers as it moved to rest on the back of the sofa.

"You know, I told Matt a few weeks ago that I wanted my kids to see their parents as friends... but the truth is, I want them to see more than that. I want them to see love. _Real love_. I want them to know that it exists and it's not just a fairy tale." Kelly told him. It was her twisted and sugar-coated way of saying she wanted them to see_ their_ love, because she had never known love like it since. "Matt is good and he is kind and he makes me smile... but he doesn't fill me with complete rage and passion and _ecstasy_. There has only been one person in my life who has ever made me feel that way."

"Where is he?"

"He's standing right in front of me." Kelly said without missing a beat, recycling his own words from last year.

_"__There are two things in my life that I've never really been able to get over. The first thing being my dad dying."_

_"What about the other one?"_

_"She's sitting right in front of me."_

"But... I don't know if I can do this if you're going to let me down again." Kelly told him honestly. "I don't think my heart could handle it."

Kelly turned her head and saw his degree sitting on the coffee table. She walked away from him and picked it up to look at.

Dylan chuckled, "Imagine that. Me with a degree in humanities."

"How was it?"

"It was ok." he said with a shrug. "Kind of wish I'd let you and the twins come." he confessed as he walked behind Kelly and delicately rested his hand on her shoulder. "Kelly... I will _never_ let you down again." he told her with the utmost conviction and assurance in his voice. What else could Kelly do but believe him?

* * *

The following morning, Kelly and Dylan sat with the twins asleep in their arms in a valley just outside of LA. After dinner they just started driving around, talking and joking about anything and everything. Eventually they found a spot and sat outside, the twins eventually falling asleep in their arms, but Kelly and Dylan just kept talking and talking. They felt like teenagers again, spending the whole night up on the roof of the Bellage, talking and laughing about the stupidest things, but loving nothing more than being in each other's company.

Eventually, Matt had called her at around 8.30am wondering where she was and if she was ready to talk. She agreed to meet him at his office at 11am, knowing exactly what she had to do, but not entirely sure that she was ready for it.

"Just so you know, I'm going_ directly_ to hell" Kelly said as she hug up the phone and held Tommy against her a little tighter.

"You're not going to hell, we didn't do anything wrong. We just had a fun night out with our kids, that is definitely not a crime." Dylan reasoned as he rested his cheek against the top of Mollie's head.

"Matt is the most decent person I know."

_So decent that he slept with some random girl in the desert-_ Dylan thought, but again, that wasn't his story to tell. "Yeah, you keep saying that..." he grumbled instead.

"Well, it's true."

"I know it's true. He's very decent, he's just in a rough spot right now but these are not reasons to _marry_ someone." Dylan told her.

Kelly sighed, "You know what I want more than anything? _Peace_. I just want a little peace."

"I don't know, there's something pretty peaceful about holding these two and watching them sleep" Dylan said as he snuggled Mollie a little tighter.

"Yeah" Kelly said as she lightly brushed Tommy's hair with her fingers. "They've been a beacon of light on some pretty dark days."

"Makes you realise that everything is going to be ok." Dylan insisted as Kelly nodded, knowing that he was absolutely right.

* * *

While Dylan took the twins back to the hotel for some breakfast, Kelly got herself showered before making her way round to Matt's office. She had no idea how this was going to go, but she knew she needed to be truthful, no matter how painful it might be.

"Do you want to get some coffee?" Matt asked as she walked in the door and he stood up to greet her.

"No, no, I just want to talk to you... I think you should father Julianne's baby." she said, barely able to look him in the eye.

"You do?" Matt asked, a little surprised by her change of heart.

"Yeah. I think it would be the best thing for you."

"But what about for us? For our wedding?" he asked as Kelly remained quiet and Matt could see the tears form in her eyes. "Kelly, what?"

"I am_ so_ sorry."

"Sorry about what?" Matt asked, but he had a funny feeling where this was going.

"I can't marry you." she finally managed to say as she wiped away her tears. "Truth is, I gave my heart away a long time ago and- I never really got it back."

"No, you're not backing out of this-" Matt began to protest.

"You deserve better than me." she said. It was as if he hadn't even listened to her admitting that she was in love with someone else. She figured he probably did hear it, but the last thing he wanted to accept was Dylan was the reason this was happening.

"Kelly, you are the one that I want." Matt insisted.

"I'm sorry" Kelly repeated in a whisper, not knowing what else to say.

"Dylan put you up to this, didn't he?"

Kelly shook her head, "No he didn't, but he does have something to do with it-"

"He told you about me sleeping with Amy in the desert didn't he?" Matt asked as Kelly froze. "Kelly, it was a mistake and no matter how Dylan spins it, it was meaningless! I would have told you myself but I was scared and that was wrong, but Dylan only told you so he could break us up! We're a lot stronger than that."

Kelly's face fell and her guilt immediately shifted slightly. _He_ was the one who had slept with Amy? He'd been running around saying it was Dylan! And Dylan _let him_? So much for being the most decent person she knew.

"Dylan didn't tell me anything."

Matt frowned, "Well then who did?"

_"You did_, just now." Kelly said as she took her engagement ring off and slammed it down on the filing cabinet.

"Kelly..." he said as he tried to reach out for her but she stepped back.

_"Don't."_ she said as she held her hand up. The last thing she wanted was to be touched my him right now.

"Can you honestly say that you haven't been even more unfaithful in your own way?" he challenged.

He was right. He was completely right. She'd played him like a bit of a fool over the past two years and she was undoubtedly ashamed of that.

"No, I can't." she replied honestly, surprising Matt. He expected her to fight against her feelings for Dylan like she always did, but not this time. She couldn't lie any more. "Which is why I know breaking up is the right thing to do." she said as she turned and quickly left the office and Matt in her past.

* * *

That night, Dylan took the twins round to the apartment so he could speak to Kelly. They found her standing on the balcony looking out over the sea and Dylan could tell this wasn't a conversation the twins should be here for.

"Why don't you go on inside twinnies, put the TV on, we'll be in in a minute." Dylan said as they nodded their heads, but not before sharing worrying glances with each other.

As they went inside, Dylan walked towards Kelly and could see that her eyes were bloodshot from crying.

"You didn't call, I was worried." he said as he stood beside her.

"Why didn't you tell me about Amy?" Kelly asked as she turned to look at him.

Dylan let out a breath. He'd forgotten about the whole Amy situation. "It wasn't any of my business." he reasoned, which was a fair answer.

"You lied for him. You lied to _me_." Kelly reminded him.

Dylan nodded his head, "Yeah, but if I'd told you-"

"I would have broken up with him a lot sooner."

"And come running to me? Probably. And been with me because you were mad at me. I didn't want that." Dylan answered for her. He didn't want Kelly to be with him out of spite. He wanted her to want him on their own terms

Kelly ran her hands through her hair in frustration, "Don't you get it? It doesn't matter who we are with, we_ always_ run to each other and it's _never_ out of anger or revenge or sadness. Every path we take leads back to each other and if I'm going to be with you, it's because I am _hopelessly_ in love with you!" she said through her tears as she let out audible sobs. She felt like her life was slipping out of her control and she had no idea what to do.

"Kel-"

"You were really just going to sit back and watch me marry Matt knowing that he had cheated on me?" she asked as she got her crying under control.

"You were committed to him-"

"This is why it will _never_ work between us!" she exclaimed. When they were teenagers, they told each other everything. They never kept secrets, but now? It seemed that Dylan had different priorities. "You had this life altering piece of information and you kept it from me! I thought we were friends."

"Yeah. And when you get some distance on this, you'll see I acted like one." Dylan said, standing by what he did. He had zero regrets over his actions and he knew she was in no rational state to talk about it with him right now. So, he walked away. He gave her the space she needed to calm down and come to terms with everything in her own way.

As Kelly stood there crying, she couldn't help but think about all the times she and Dylan had caused each other heartbreak and anger.

_"Our chance to be something passed when Brenda Walsh came into town."_

_"To have so much love enter your heart—even the thought of having it ripped away... I've lost too much already. I can't lose anymore."_

_"All I remember is you telling me how much you loved me and how excited you were to have a family and then something clicked. Something shifted and I have no idea what. It has been eating me up every since and I'll probably never know the truth, will I?"_

_"We were very much in love, probably still are a little bit, but things didn't work out."_

_"I remember you being my dearest friend and my deepest love. Then I remember you turning your back on me. I've lost a lot in my life Kelly, but you were the hardest loss I have ever had to bear."_

_"We're frustrated that we can't just say I love you- so we fight. we fight and we hope that somehow it makes walking away from each other a lot easier."_

_"I don't think there will ever be a day when my heart doesn't hurt when I think about you."_

_"With you it is never enough."_

_"How dare you throw that in my face!" _

She tried to shake those memories out of her head, but she knew that wasn't right. She knew these memories were an important part of their past. She didn't want to be filled with regrets, not when their past was pushing them towards their future.

* * *

Kelly spent the next few days cooling off and focusing on helping Donna organise things for her impending wedding. As she took some time to calm down, she realised that there was no point getting angry at Dylan. Matt's cheating, all in all, had nothing to do with him and she knew he was just trying to protect her as frustrating as that was.

She was also a little ashamed to admit that she felt a sense of_ relief_ when Matt told her the truth. Obviously, it still hurt. She had committed to this man and he had betrayed her. It did ease her guilty conscience over Dylan that was for sure.

Another thing Kelly feared was how she was going to tell Mollie and Tommy about the changes. It was one thing telling them that she and Matt weren't getting married anymore, but telling them that she and Dylan were together—or almost together—seemed scarier. She didn't want to let them down, she didn't want to disappoint them if things didn't work out, which is why she knew she had to be sure about this. She meant what she said to Dylan when she said all or nothing.

As she sat one night with Steve on the porch sorting out the seating for Donna and David's wedding, Kelly couldn't help reflect on the chaos that had been the past 10 years with one of her oldest friends.

"Doesn't it feel like for the longest time we've been living in a Steven King novel?" she asked as Steve chuckled. "Where you're afraid to turn the page because something horrible is going to happen to someone in the group.

"I don't know, maybe we have been. Maybe there's someone out there who's been devising this unbelievably horrific plan for us to go through. Makes it more amazing that we've survived and that after all these years we're still friends. Friends that count on each other, that depend on each other, love each other. Love each other enough to spend what little free time they have obsessing over some stupid, idiotic seating chart..." he grumbled at the end as Kelly looked back down at the page.

"Nice pep talk Sanders..." she teased as he rubbed her shoulder.

"Did it really work for you?"

"I think so..."

"Now, where were we?" he asked as Kelly lifted her pen.

"Matt. Where is Matt going to sit?" she said with a sigh.

"He's not coming Kel. He's leaving for New York tomorrow..." he told her softly, not sure how she would take this one.

"You know that melodrama I was talking about? God, I wish it would_ end_..." she groaned as she rested her head on the table, just as Dylan walked around the corner.

"Well, maybe now's your chance" he said with a wink before standing up.

"Where are you going?" Dylan asked as Kelly's head shot up after hearing his voice. The last time they spoke she was pretty cross, but she had really missed him, even if it had only been a few days.

"I'm going home to see my wife" Steve said as he shook Dylan's hand before leaving.

"So" Dylan said as he kicked Steve's chair out of the way. "You want to dance?"

Kelly raised an eyebrow and smirked. It had been a long time since he had used that line on her. _"Here?"_ she asked.

"It's not a one time off though, it can wait." he said as Kelly smiled further. She felt like she had been whisked back to high school as Dylan tried desperately to get her to dance with him. For someone who hated dancing so much, he was always so keen to do it with her.

"I would rather wait" she told him as he walked behind her.

"Why's that? You still mad at me?" he asked as he knelt down and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"No, I'm not mad" she assured him softly. Dylan had been nervous about seeing her again as he really didn't know if she would be able to look past this.

"Just disappointed?" he asked, surprised she was being so calm.

"I know you were in a tough position... but the whole thing did teach me something pretty valuble. Something I wish I'd learnt a long time ago. No matter how good you think someone is... anybody has the power to disappoint you." she said rather solemnly. She thought Brandon and Matt were the perfect men, but she now knew there was no such thing. "I think the only thing you can therefore do is put your trust in whoever you love most. No matter how fearful you are... because even if it seems like your whole world my explode if you do- it could also come together in a way that it never has before."

Dylan smiled against her head. They'd really come a long way from the two kids who made a pact on the beach. They'd grown up. Dylan had learnt to be grateful for all the good on his in life and he'd found some direction. Kelly had learnt to love herself but also never to run from those who loved her the most in this world.

"Just... promise you won't keep secrets from me." she said as she turned her head to look at him.

Dylan nodded, "I promise... you are incredibly sexy" he said as he smirked against her neck before planting a delicate kiss on it.

Kelly laughed and smiled widely, "That is not one of the secrets I was talking about..."

"I know, but it's true." he told her.

Kelly was quickly reminded of all the flirty fun they had growing up.

_"You are one of a kind Dylan McKay."_

_"Personally, I prefer blondes and you are definitely my favourite."_

_"Are you ever going to give me the time of day Taylor? One minute you're flirting with me, the next you're telling me your woes—we're practically a fully-fledged couple already."_

_"Aw, Kel, I just love it when you roll out of the wrong side of the bed in the morning, it's really entertaining and terrifying for everyone you come into contact with."_

_"Your angelic face is much more interesting than this."_

_"You still looking for ways to cheer me up?"  
_"_In your dreams."  
__"Every night."_

_"Why do you always look so good?"  
__"To torture you."  
__"Consider me tortured."_

_"Kel, you know I would repopulate the world with you if you asked."_

_"You miss me?"  
__"How could I miss you when you're around to bother me everyday?"  
__"Ouch..."_

Kelly rested her head back against his shoulder and let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding in. She had told Dylan that she just wanted a little peace in her life and right now, in this moment, she felt exactly that. For the first time, she felt like her soul was calm. She felt like she and Dylan had finally got their timings right.

"This feels nice" she told him quietly.

Dylan smiled against her hair, "Yes it does" he agreed.

"Breaking off my engagement is probably going to hurt for a while" she told him honestly. "I need you to be patient with me" she asked. As much as she wanted to dive right in, she just _couldn't._

"And I will be... we promised each other an always and I'm not going to let either of us settle for anything less." he told her.

Kelly looked at him and nodded her head, "_Always._"

Dylan kissed her cheek before they resumed their positioning again, enjoying be so close to one another again. Little did they know, Mollie and Tommy and been watching them from the window, with wide smiles on their faces.

* * *

_"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of being and ideal grace. I love thee freely, as men strive for right. I love thee purely as they turn from praise. I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death."_

Kelly couldn't think of a better poem to describe Donna and David's love for one another. As she read it at the front of the church, she had a beaming smile on her face and she knew that it was for more than just her brother and her best friend. It was exactly how she would describe her love for _Dylan_. She had been inspired by one of the letters he wrote her when they were 18.

_To my soulmate,_

_… I love you more than you could ever imagine. It consumes me and I knew from the moment I met you I would never be the same. I love you with every breath, smile and tear of my life._

Those words had never left Kelly and she loved that she was able to use them today. Little did she know, Matt had arrived and was standing at the back of the church listening to everything she was saying. He later showed up at the wedding reception much to her alarm. Kelly was even more alarmed by what he came here to say.

_"I heard your readings and I'm glad I did. Now I realise that this connection you have with Dylan? It isn't unhealthy like I thought. Not in the slightest."_

Kelly was stunned into silence. He'd spent so long berating her and Dylan for their bond to one another.

_"I don't know how I could have missed it. Everyone seemed to be tuned into it but me."_

Kelly couldn't help but scoff lightly at that. Over the years, she'd heard people make countless comments about her bond and relationship with Dylan and how deep and unparalleled it was.

_"All I'm going to say is that I have never seen anybody look at anybody the way Dylan McKay looks at you."_

_"When I first met you all, I thought he was in love with you. There was just something in his eyes every time he spoke to you. It's like he was really alive."_

_"You know, I always knew you two had a special connection, I could feel it."_

_"Ever since you were little kids, you looked at her like she was an angel."_

_"I think she might be the best thing to ever happen to you."_

_"They were in love with each other before they even knew it themselves. Their love is rooted deep in their souls."_

_"No matter what you do, no matter what anybody does—Kelly Taylor and Dylan McKay will never love anybody like they love each other."_

_"Maybe I taught Dylan how to love, but you brought him to live. You guys really do swing from chandeliers."_

_"Dylan brought you to life in a way that no one else has."_

_"Brandon brought out good in Kelly, Dylan brought out it all."_

_"You were best friends and then you were ridiculously in love and then you were parents—you're everything to each other."_

She felt a sense of peace about the fact that the people closest to her saw what she felt. They saw that it wasn't perfect, they saw they were flawed, but they saw that their love was that can't eat, can't sleep, one in a million feeling that only a few people ever managed to achieve. It was immense and it was pure and it was real and now—Matt was seeing it.

_"Standing there at the back of the church listening to you talk about loving with every breath, smile and tears of life. Even I couldn't miss that. I think you made the right choice and although it hurts and I'm sure it will for a long time- I'm happy for you."_

Kelly felt relieved that she had this closure with Matt. While she still felt remorse over what she had put him through, she was thankful that they would end it with some resemblance of smiles on their faces. The pain of breaking up was lifting and Kelly felt ready to move forward.

As she walked back into the reception hall, she looked around for her family. She smiled when she spotted them on the dance floor. Tommy was on top of Dylan's shoulders while Mollie was holding on to his hands and dancing around, all three of them laughing with bright smiles on their faces. Kelly felt a warm glow inside of her. She knew from the moment she met Dylan that he would always be so important to her. That he would always be more like family than her own blood was at times.

_"Dylan, you are like family to me. So, if you ever claim to have nothing and nobody, I'm going to be really mad."_

_"My heart is so full. We wade two little babies Kel. I always knew that it was an exciting thing but I don't think I really appreciated how much love I would feel when I saw them. They are pure magic."_

_"No matter what you are going through, no matter the pain that you are in, you will always have a family to come home to and you will always have two children to call yours."_

_"If these two little faces aren't something to live for then I don't know what is."_

_"It will never be nothing. They made sure it is everything."_

_"The moment I gave you half my cookie in kindergarten was the moment you became my family. Nothing will ever change that."_

Kelly was snapped out of her thoughts when she saw the three of them look over at her. Mollie and Tommy waved brightly at her as she waved back, then moved her eyes to Dylan who was piercing delicately through her soul with his. She loved just how right this moment felt.

* * *

"I like the flowers." Dylan complimented to Kelly after she had caught the bouquet.

Kelly smirked, "Thanks" she knew that was his way of saying he wasn't going to run away at the first sign of them thinking of tying the knot. He was actually ready for that. He actually _wanted_ that. After all, he had told her he was going to marry her back when they were 10 years old.

"You want to dance? It's not a one-time offer, it can wait." he asked quietly so only she could hear. She smiled again at his line. Kelly never really understood why Dylan constantly asked her this over the years but she now knew Dylan was asking for more than just a dance. She kept pretending like they were just good friends, but she knew that was probably never true.

_"I'll always be your friend, but something tells me we'll always be that little bit more."_

_"He will always be someone so special to me. Our hearts are walking around on the Earth in the form of two little kids. We're always going to be something, but I should never have slept with him. I don't know why but I couldn't get him off my mind all day and then he was on my doorstep telling me the same thing and he just—he swept me off my feet."_

_"I keep telling myself that we're just old friends, but all I have to do is look into Mollie and Tommy's eyes and know that's not true."_

Kelly looked up at Dylan and smiled softly. They may have gotten older, but she'd been looking into the same eyes since she was five and they hadn't changed. They were still soft when he looked at her and they still pierced through her like no one else had. He had been right when they were 18 to call her his soulmate.

_"It's a pretty wonderful thing, isn't it? To have someone in your life that makes you feel warm and secure and happy, even when you feel like you have no reason to."_

_"Who do you want standing next to you in your darkest day and your finest hour? Who is the first person you want to call when you have good or bad news? The answer was simple when he asked it and it was made even clearer now. It's been simple since we were 10 years old and I kissed you in my tree house or when we were 14 and we made that pact on the beach or when we were 17 and I kissed you in you cabana and I never felt more alive."_

_"I choose you. I want you. I have always wanted you. I'll choose you over and over and over without pause, without a doubt and in a heartbeat. I will always choose you. I am so stupidly in love with you Kelly Taylor... and I have been for a long time."_

_"You scare me Kelly. I thought I finally understood love when I met Brenda, but the truth is, I think I've always understood it, I've just been too scared to admit it. I was scared to admit how much I loved you. Brenda taught me how to run to love instead of running from it and I finally ran to you. I took a leap and it was the best decision I ever made."_

_"I know what it's like to have demons, I know how difficult it is to open up your heart to someone. You are the only person that I have wanted to take that leap with."_

_"I am truly, deeply, madly in love with you... even when you frustrate the hell out of me."_

_"Do you have any idea how much I love you?"  
__"From the way you're looking at me right now, I have a pretty good idea."  
__"How am I looking at you?"  
__"Like I'm an angel."_

_"Glad we cleared that up."  
__"Cleared what up?"  
__"That when you're with him you're thinking of me."_

_"You were my best friend and my love all at once. It was the most real and passionate thing I have ever had in my life."_

_"Most beautiful or not, I would have fallen in love with you anyway Kel."_

_"I love Brandon, but with Dylan—it's like he'll always have a piece of my soul."_

_"Dylan I were barely speaking and then all of a sudden, we had the most real and intimate and special moment in our entire lives... and that definitely wasn't insanity. It was pure, unadulterated, passionate love. We obviously didn't realise we'd made two little humans at the time, but I think the reason I felt so calm when I found out I was pregnant was because I knew they were an embodiment of that love and that no matter what happened to me or to Dylan, they would always be proof that our love existed and that it was real and true."_

_"It is the most beautiful thing in the world that you could make my heart beat so fast when I don't want it to beat at all. You have always given me a purpose and a meaning. I love you immensely and I always will."_

_"I've known him since I was 5 years old and he has been my friend, my love and my family ever since. For a long time, he was the only constant in my life and I will be forever grateful to him and I will probably love him until the day I die."_

_"I couldn't marry Brandon when I knew what it was like to be loved by you."_

"I don't want to wait." Kelly told Dylan as he looked surprised by her answer. He was prepared to be patient. He was ok with waiting, but she was ready. He could see it in her eyes. "I choose you. I want you. I have _always_ wanted you" Kelly said with a little laugh as Dylan chuckled too as she repeated his words to him. He even felt tears prickle in his eyes. "I'll choose you over and over again, without pause, without a doubt and in a heartbeat. _I will always choose you."_

Kelly leaned up gently and kissed him. Every emotion, every memory, every speck of joy she felt in her heart right now was thrown into that kiss and he easily reciprocated it with his own emotions, joy and memories. He could finally hold Kelly Taylor in his arms again and he swore to never let her go.

As they released the kiss, their faces beamed as their foreheads remained attached. They suddenly felt two little voices cheering in front of them as they turned and saw Mollie and Tommy jumping for joy. Dylan and Kelly held out their arms as their children rushed and hugged them tightly.

Boy did this feel _perfect._


	59. Was it Everything You Wished For?

Hi everyone! Thank you for your (mostly) lovely reviews for the last chapter. I just wanted to address one thing: a guest reviewer noted that I stuck with some of the writer's errors about Dylan's departure etc. but that isn't the case. The things listed were things I deliberately left out because I totally agree- they made little sense for Dylan coming back later, so I _didn't_ put them in. I also tried to fix the timeline and add in a few parts to make Dylan's return at the wedding and then later on possible. There's a lot in this story, so I understand if that was missed, but there's nothing to be 'disappointed' about! If there is a gap in the story, I apologise, but I can't get it 100% perfect in every chapter. Things have to be sacrificed for the sake of length, so I included what I thought were the essentials. Even though you're not a DK fan, feel free to go and re-read and maybe pick up on those parts!

As a few of you have pointed out (which I am grateful for!), my goal with this story was to take what we already know and twist it and flesh it out to give DK a more intense back story, so I hope I've done that justice for you. At the end of the day, this is just supposed to be something fun and enjoyable for DK fans. It's been really great engaging in this story with you and I'm also be a little sad that it's coming to an end!

Here's part one of a glimpse into Kelly and Dylan's future... enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Fifty-Nine - Was it Everything You Wished For?

_AUGUST 2000_

"Watch your step" Dylan told the twins as he lifted them down off the rocks and onto the secluded beach. Donna and David's wedding party had just come to an end and as they jetted off on their honeymoon, the Taylor-McKay clan decided to take a little trip of their own. Kelly and Dylan couldn't quite believe that in the 6 years the twins had been on the earth, they had never taken them to Paradise Cove. They spent countless hours at the beach, but they never went to this spot. They were never in_ their _spot. They figured it was because they wanted to experience it together as a family and the timing was never right, but now, the timing couldn't have been better. Kelly and Dylan were finally together, and everything had fallen into place.

Tommy and Mollie raced onto the sand once they'd stumbled over the rocks and looked all around them in awe. The stars were shining brightly, and the moon was reflecting beautifully off the water. They were _mesmerised_ by the place.

"What is this place?" Tommy asked quietly as they continued to stare out at the ocean.

"Paradise Cove" Kelly told them as she and Dylan stood back, watching them take it all in.

"We used to come here when we were a little older than you." Dylan added. "It was our escape when we weren't feeling so great."

Mollie smiled, "It's a pretty cool place to escape to"

"Agreed" Kelly replied with just a sweet a smile. "We were thinking we could camp out here tonight. Maybe revive some of the old Paradise Cove traditions" she told them. She and Dylan had come up with the idea at the wedding and now seemed like the perfect time to do it—even though they were still in their wedding clothes. Dylan had some camping equipment stashed away in the back of his car from when he, Steve and David took a camping trip not that long ago.

"What traditions?" Tommy asked curiously.

"Well…" Dylan began as he walked backwards to the rocks. He moved a few aside and lifted out the old mint tin he and Kelly kept their wishes in. Neither of them had looked in this tin since the end of senior year. "Before we started high school, we wrote down some our dreams and wishes for the next four years and put them in this tin." He said as he opened it up and the twins peered inside at the scrappy pieces of paper. "We then came back to them right after we graduated to see if they came true and then we made a few more for college."

"Did they come true?" Mollie asked hopefully. She had always been a bit of a dreamer, so she really hoped they had.

Kelly nodded, "They did."

"And your college wishes? Did they come true too?" Tommy asked.

Kelly and Dylan looked at each other with a gulp. They never got around to testing their college wishes. Things took an unexpected turn for them after all, but now that Dylan had graduated, it seemed appropriate that they could come here and open them now.

"Why don't we find out" Dylan said as he lifted the pieces of paper up. He handed Kelly's to her before opening his own. "I wish to always be as happy as I am right now."

Kelly smiled, "You're a _goof_." Dylan smirked. She had called him a goof the night they came here during senior year too.

"Are you happy dad?" Tommy asked.

"I'm happier than I've ever been." Dylan confirmed. "Alright momma, you're up" Dylan said as Kelly opened her piece of paper.

"I wish to graduate with a degree in psychology." Kelly read off. She scrunched up her nose. "Your wish makes mine look really lame…"

"_Hey_" Dylan warned, "All wishes made here are sacred, no arguments."

"Ok fine… my second wish… I wish that Dylan will always know his worth and see how wonderful he is." Kelly said softly as Dylan looked at his feet. Kelly had always been his biggest support, even when he was so hard on himself and he wasn't giving her any reasons to be in his corner. She fought for him to be the best that he could be, and it was only recently that he had finally accepted that his life wasn't a waste. He'd finally accepted that there was so much good in him and he had so much to give to the people around him. He hated that it had taken him so long, but he also wouldn't change this moment for anything in the world.

"I'd put that one down as a success." Dylan responded. "My second wish… I wish to fix up some old cars."

Kelly scoffed, "Now I don't feel so bad about the psychology degree."

Dylan shrugged, "I did say any and all wishes were meaningful and worthwhile."

"Dad you fixed up that old blue car, remember?" Mollie reminded him.

"I sure did hun." Dylan responded. "Four for four Taylor, what's your last one?"

Kelly gave him a bittersweet smile, "I hope that Dylan and I spend the rest of our lives, blissfully in love."

Dylan returned her bittersweet smile. They'd certainly spent the last seven years in love, but it hadn't exactly been bliss. They let each other down, they got angry, scared, bitter. They struggled to give in to their love for fear that it might destroy them. But they'd grown up since then. They'd realised that the one thing that may have been capable of destroying them was also the one thing that could make them whole.

Dylan looked down at his paper to read his last wish. He smirked at how in sync they were. He'd written the exact same thing.

"The rest of our lives starts right now." Dylan said. He didn't want them to feel guilt over the last seven years. He truly believed that everything that happened was for their own good. They'd grown from their experiences and they were better people for it. They were equipped to be better friends, partners and parents. Now, they had the rest of their lives to embrace the love they now knew they deserved.

"Can we make our own wishes now?!" Mollie asked excitedly. She was desperate to get in on this deal.

"We sure can. You got any paper?" Dylan asked Kelly as she lifted her purse and lifted out a little notebook to write on. They all then sat in the sand to compile their wishes.

"I wish… for a puppy!" Tommy said after some brief contemplation.

Kelly let out a little laugh as she wrote down Tommy's wish. As nice as a puppy might be, she figured their lives were maybe a little chaotic for that right now.

"A puppy?" Mollie questioned with a sigh. "Tommy, if there are going to be any new additions to this family, it should definitely be in the form of a_ baby._ Right mom?"

Kelly almost choked as Dylan held back his laughter. That was one way to seriously freak Kelly out.

"Oh, I don't know sweetie—" Kelly began but Mollie shook her head.

"That's my wish momma, you have to write it down. I wish for a baby brother or a baby sister… preferably _sister_." She added quietly on to the end.

Tommy rolled his eyes, "You couldn't handle having a brother or sister, you'd hate that all the attention was being taken off you!"

Mollie swatted her brother, "That is not true Tommy… we could_ share_ the attention." She said sweetly.

Tommy was about to argue further with his sister when another wish sprung to mind. "Oh, I've got one! I wish that every summer before school, we come and camp here at Paradise Cove."

"That's a good wish bud" Dylan encouraged. That sounded like the perfect trip to him, especially in a place that held so many good memories.

"Yeah, we camp out, look at the stars, toast marshmallows, make more wishes!" Mollie added excitedly.

"It's a deal" Kelly confirmed, knowing that this was a wish she would happily make come true. "Anything else?"

Mollie smiled, "Yeah. That we'll always be as happy as we are right now." She said quietly, repeating Dylan's wish from years ago. Things had finally fallen into place for them all. They had all they ever dreamed of, and they could only wish that this feeling they had right now would never change.

Kelly and Dylan smiled at them before finishing their writing and slipping the box back between the rocks, telling the twins that they would come back it next summer.

For the next little while, Dylan and Kelly built a fire and watched as the twins messed around on the sand. They were surprised that after the busy day they'd had, they hadn't passed out from exhaustion yet, but they seemed to be running on some sort of high. Kelly suspected that Steve had slipped them more cake after Kelly said no and it was the sugar that was propelling them.

Kelly turned her head and looked at Dylan who had the sweetest little smile on his face. She couldn't remember the last time he looked so at peace.

"What's on your mind McKay?" she asked softly.

Dylan turned to look at her, "I just don't remember the last time I ever felt so content. It almost feels too good to be true, but I can't help but _smile_."

Kelly wrapped her arms around his arm tightly. "We've been through so much… it seems only fair that we can sit back and smile and just enjoy life. There's no point looking over our shoulders, waiting for something to go wrong. So _smile_ Dylan" she said as both of theirs widened. "Everything has fallen into place. Everything is how it should be."

Dylan delicately kissed the tip of her nose, "I love you" he said quietly.

"I love you too." She said happily. It had been so long since she'd said those words out loud to him and it felt so damn good. She hated that it had taken them so long to get here, but in a strange way, she wouldn't have traded the past 6 years for anything.

Kelly rested her head on his shoulder as they took a moment to look up at the stars.

"You know… someone once told me that you can't share a shooting star with a friend" Kelly said, recalling what he had told her years ago.

"I guess they _were_ talking about us." Dylan countered, knowing that this time, they were much, much more than just friends and he prayed it would forever be this way. Dylan briefly looked down at Kelly again, inspiration suddenly striking him. "Marry me."

Kelly's head shot up, _"What?"_

"Marry me."

Kelly let out a laugh, "You're kidding"

Dylan shook his head, "I have never been more serious."

Kelly was at a loss for words. They were only starting to get back on track and now he wanted to _marry_ her? She really wasn't expecting this. The thought honestly made her a little nervous. They'd both been in this situation before with other people and it felt scary to want to take the plunge again, but at the same time, it also felt so right.

"You really want to marry me?" Kelly asked quietly. It seemed like a stupid question, but she felt herself asking it anyway.

"I didn't say I was going to marry you when were ten for nothing Kel…" he reminded her as Kelly sniggered. "You didn't want to marry me when we found out about the twins, I didn't want to propose when Brandon tried… but we're finally getting our timing right. This is our time. So… marry me. Let me spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you."

Any fears Kelly had in her mind were swiftly taken away. She said yes and that Saturday, they went down to city hall with the twins, Jackie and Iris and they got married. This time, the big white wedding in the church wasn't even on Kelly's radar. It just wasn't about that. It was about making a life-long commitment to one another and promising to love each other with everything in them for the rest of their lives—and the rest of the lives had started today.

* * *

_NOVEMBER 2000_

"Dylan, where are we going?" Kelly demanded to know from the passenger side of Dylan's range rover. He'd rushed into their apartment around 20 minutes ago and dragged her out of the house, claiming to have something really important to show her, but refused to tell her what it was. He wanted it to be a surprise.

"Kel, it's a surprise, how many times am I going to have to say it?" He asked. He knew he'd created her frustration himself, but she was really starting to irritate him with his constant questioning.

"You know I hate surprises…" Kelly grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Dylan smirked, "trust me, you're going to like this one." He said as he pulled up by the curb. He reached into the back seat of the car and lifted a scarf, holding it out to her.

Kelly quirked an eyebrow, "It's 73 degrees outside, I don't need a scarf."

"It's to cover your eyes with"

_"Dylan!_" Kelly groaned.

"Kel—_trust me_." He said firmly.

Kelly briefly narrowed her eyes and clicked her tongue before she snatched the scarf from him and put it over her eyes. Dylan quickly got out of the car and went to open her door and guide her down the path.

"Feel free to start explaining any time now…" Kelly said as she stumbled along the path with Dylan's hand firmly around her waist to steady her.

"Well, we've been house hunting for almost 4 months now and I know it's been driving you a little crazy" Dylan began.

Kelly scoffed, "That is the understatement of the decade." They just couldn't find anything they liked and Kelly was growing increasingly frustrated at living in the beach apartment. Even though Mollie and Tommy could now have their own rooms, the space was just too cramped for the four of them. It was the perfect place for a group of young adults in college, but not so much for a young family.

"True… and in the midst of all the house hunting chaos, I've still be working through your letters…" he reminded her. Dylan had been steadily reading all the letters since Kelly gave them to him and he just loved every one of them. Some of them were so beautiful and happy and others were full of sadness and longing, and while it sometimes hurt his heart to know what she went through while he was gone and even while he was here, he was thankful that he could take a glimpse into her mind. He could understanding her feelings when she refused to open up to him.

"What do the letters have to do with house hunting?" Kelly asked curiously.

"Well, I was reading one and you were talking about old Mrs Mayo's house down in Durie Lane and how much you loved that house when you were a kid and you just thought it was so beautiful with the white picket fence and the shutters and the flowers she used to keep." Dylan recalled. They sometimes walked home from school in that direction and Kelly always had to stop and stare at the house for a brief moment. Mrs Mayo was almost always sitting out on her porch knitting when they walked by, and she just smiled at the two kids and let them stare away.

Kelly sighed, "it was a beautiful house. A perfect house… but it's been left in ruins since Mrs Mayo passed away, nobody wanted it which is just _beyond_ me." She ranted.

"Me too… it seemed like such a waste." Dylan said as he stopped Kelly, took off her blind fold and Kelly looked ahead of her—confused.

"So… you brought me to a derelict house?" she asked as they stood in front of Mrs Mayo's house. It was in pieces. The garden was overgrown, the fence had almost rotted to nothing. They only thing that wasn't in tatters was the wind chime Mrs Mayo used to keep by her front door.

"No… I brought you to _our_ house." Dylan said as he started to walk up the path towards the door.

Kelly's mouth fell open in shock. "You bought this house?"

Dylan nodded his head before he took out the keys and opened the door. Kelly quickly rushed in behind him, still a little in shock at this move.

"I was thinking… sitting room over here" he said as he motioned to the room that stemmed off the left side of the hallway. "We have a study back there, the living room into the right that's all open planned and leads into the kitchen and dining area." Dylan explained. "You've always had a bit of knack for interior design so this is the perfect opportunity to get your creative juices flowing."

Kelly smiled and let out a little laugh, "You've really thought this through, huh?"

"We've been trying so hard to find the perfect house and after reading your letter, I realised it doesn't exist… but in your mind, what Mrs Mayo had came pretty damn close." Dylan said, taking her through his thought process. "The fact that it is so worn down means that we can fix it up whatever way we want it too."

"I cannot believe you did this… it's just—" Kelly said, before she cut herself off.

"Just what?"

"So thoughtful." She said finishing her thought.

Dylan walked forward and wrapped his arms around her, allowing her to rest gently against his chest while they stared into the empty space that would become their living room.

"I want you to have the perfect house Kel. I want this to be the perfect space for the twinnies to grow up in. I want this to be the perfect space for us to grow old in. A place of solace for us and everyone we love. I want it to be the family home we've always dreamed of having." He told her as Kelly smiled against his chest.

"It is perfect. You did good McKay." Kelly replied, feeling so very content. "It does remind me though that I have a little surprise for you too…" she said as she pulled away from the hug and pulled Dylan outside.

"What kind of surprise…?"

"Well, it was a surprise that was waiting for you at home, but I discreetly texted Steve and he is bringing it round to our _new_ home." Kelly said cryptically as they stood on the porch.

"… now I understand why you hate surprises so much" he conceded as Kelly giggled.

"I think you're going to like this one." Kelly said as they heard a horn beep on the street.

They walked to the end of the path, just as Steve pulled up in a car—but not just any car. A speedster. A speedster exactly like Dylan's from high school.

"Is that—" Dylan began, unsure what to say.

Kelly held onto his hands, "I know you sold this car because something really awful happened in it and I in no way want to bring that back for you but I also know how much you loved this car. It has so many _good_ memories and I've seen your face whenever you see one on the street every now and again…" Kelly recounted. He never said it out loud, but Kelly could read Dylan like a map. She knew he missed this car.

"You're right… a lot of good memories" he said, feeling a little emotional over the fact. "It would nice to make some new ones too."

Kelly wrapped her arms around him from the side as his arm looped around her shoulder, "There's also a small chance the twins were conceived in this car, so…" Kelly said with a giggle as Dylan couldn't hold back his smirk. He remembered the night in question all too well. The Santa Anas were blowing like crazy and they didn't have enough willpower to wait until they got home from Donna's birthday dinner.

Steve scrunched up his face, catching the end of Kelly and Dylan's conversation, "Guys, come on, too much information…" he complained.

"Maybe you just shouldn't eavesdrop then Sanders…" Dylan grumbled as he held Kelly tightly and kissed her head.

"God… _look_ at you two." Steve said as he shook his head and put his hands on his hips. "You're like two horny teenagers, you can't keep your hands off each other, it's like this wherever we go." He complained further. Ever since they'd gotten back together, Dylan and Kelly could barely spent one moment apart. It was like they had fallen in love all over again and they were enjoying the honeymoon phase. They were especially enjoying this phase considering they hadn't had the chance to have an actual honeymoon yet since their impromptu wedding at the end of summer.

"Well it's hard for me not to feel like a horny teenager when I'm around my wife Sanders, she is the most beautiful woman in the entire world…" Dylan teased.

Kelly jokingly shoved him, "Ok smush, enough of that talk…"

Steve threw Dylan the keys to the speedster, "I'm going to get out of here before you start procreating again in that car."

"Thanks Sanders" Dylan said gratefully as he and Steve snapped fingers like they had done for so many years.

"My pleasure. Enjoy your car and your new home" he said sincerely before Janet pulled round the corner to pick him up.

Kelly looked up at Dylan, "the most beautiful woman in the world, huh?"

"Well it's only fitting that you are because I am _definitely_ the most beautiful man in the world…" he teased as Kelly laughed.

"I'm glad you have that much confidence in yourself." She said as she patted his stomach.

Dylan frowned and ran a hand over his stomach, "is that your way of telling me I'm fat?"

"You're not fat Dylan, you've just put on a little bit of dad weight. You've got a pouch." She said with a giggle as she poked his stomach.

Dylan frowned further, "I do _not_ have a pouch." He protested.

"I love it." She assured him.

"Nothing to love cause it's not there. I am still as slim as I was when I was 18 years old, I surf almost every day and if I don't surf, I run, I am in_ good_ shape." He insisted.

"Man, somebody's touchy today…"

"I don't have a pouch, _you've_ got a pouch." He said, continuing to fight his corner.

Kelly laughed, "Oh, great comeback babe, really good stuff" she taunted as she turned back up the path and walked towards the house.

"That's it, no more peach pie eating sessions." He said sternly as he followed her up the path.

Kelly turned and raised an eyebrow, "Except on Thursdays?" she asked. Their tradition had slipped a little over the years, but they still remained pretty consistent, especially in recent months.

Dylan sighed and smiled. "… except on Thursdays." Who was he to mess with tradition?

* * *

_AUGUST 2001 _

"Daddy!" a now 7-year-old Mollie exclaimed as she rushed through the front door of their newly finished house. She jumped into her father's arms with a smile on her face and he gladly held her close, his face getting lost in her blonde curls. "I missed you" she said quietly as she hugged him tightly.

"Oh, I missed you too. Remind me to never send you to camp again" he said. While Dylan and Kelly put the finishing touches to the house, they'd sent Mollie and Tommy to summer camp for a few weeks. Tommy had returned from his a few days ago and Kelly had just gone to pick Mollie up from hers.

Dylan kissed Mollie's head before she leaned back and looked at him with a little smile on her face. Dylan frowned, "What? Did I cut myself shaving?" he asked as he ran his hand over his face.

Mollie giggled, "No, I just missed seeing your face."

Dylan smirked, "Well you can stare at it all you want, but you'd be better looking at your own face, it's far prettier than mine."

"That's cause it's mom's face and mom is prettiest girl in the world." Mollie said. She'd often caught Dylan telling Kelly how beautiful she was, and Kelly and Mollie's faces were eerily similar.

"I think you two are tied in that department."

"Well, I like your face." She said with another smile as she placed her hands on his cheeks.

Dylan let out a little laugh, "You like my face?"

"Yeah. It's my dad's face and I like it" she said with certainty before kissing his cheek and then wiggling out of his arms.

"Thank you baby. Where's your mom?" Dylan asked, wondering why she hadn't walked through the door yet.

"She's getting my bags from the car"

"Glad to see you stuck around to help…" he teased.

Mollie grimaced, "Sorry… is Tommy here?"

"Yeah, he's in the kitchen." Dylan told her. Camp had been a bit of a milestone on Mollie and Tommy's part. It was the first time that they'd spent more than a day apart and it was no doubt strange for them. They were a dynamic duo that could rarely be separated—despite how much the drove each other crazy sometimes. It must have been a twin thing.

Mollie nodded her head. "It was like I was missing a limb" she confessed as Dylan smiled. "But don't tell Tommy that." She added quickly. She didn't want the fact that she missed him to be something he could tease her for.

Dylan chuckled, "Your secret's safe with me" he assured her as she ran through the living room into the kitchen and Kelly came through the door with Mollie's bags.

"I swear Mollie has somehow managed to come home with more stuff than she left with" Kelly said with a grunt as she dropped the things by the door and gave Dylan a quick kiss.

"Yeah… You know, I knew I missed the twinnies while they were at camp, but I didn't realise how much until their little smiles were beaming up at me." Dylan said with a smile of his own. He'd had a similar reunion with Tommy a few days ago and it was a good feeling.

Kelly laughed lightly, "Well, I don't know about Tommy, but Mollie talked about you the whole drive home so I'm guessing the feeling is mutual." In an unsurprising turn of events, Mollie was talking at 100mph about camp, but also constantly asking about things at home and about her dad and Tommy and Donna and David and Madeline and everyone she could think off. She really was a firecracker.

"That's good to hear" Dylan responded. "Now that they're both here… I guess we should go tell them."

Kelly nodded her head, "How do you think they'll react?"

"They'll be fine." Dylan assured her. "They are getting what they wished for."

"I know but a lot can change in a year. They're growing up, they don't necessarily want the same things—"

"Kel—it'll be fine." Dylan assured her he kissed her cheek and pulled her into the kitchen.

When they got there, they found Mollie and Tommy sitting at the island munching on some cookies. Every now and again, Tommy would throw some cookie onto the floor for Bruno, their golden retriever to pick up. Kelly and Dylan had finally given in on the dog front a few months ago and Bruno was welcomed into the family, much to the delight of the twins.

Kelly chuckled, "Tommy you need to stop feeding Bruno, he's going to get fat."

"How can I say no to those eyes mom?" Tommy asked as they all looked down at Bruno, who was sitting patiently waiting for his next snack.

"… you make a good point McKay." Kelly conceded. "But you can stop for now because dad and I need to tell you guys something."

Mollie's eyes brightened, "Are we getting another puppy?!" In her mind, all this Bruno talk could only mean one thing. "I really think it's about time we expanded this family momma—"

"Funny you should say that Mols—we're not getting a puppy" Dylan said as Mollie's shoulders slumped.

"But—we are going to have—a baby" Kelly said with a smile as Tommy and Mollie remained silent.

"… a baby guys. You're going to have a little brother or sister." Dylan reiterated, seeing as they didn't react. About a week ago, Kelly hadn't been feeling so great. The last time she remembered feeling like this was when she was pregnant with the twins. So, 10 home pregnancy tests and one doctor's appointment later, they discovered she was in fact pregnant. She and Dylan were over the moon at the news. It felt so right that they would be expanding their family at this point. They had this beautiful new house and a few extra rooms to fill and they'd always talked about having more kids one day.

"… a baby" Tommy repeated.

Mollie nodded her head, "a baby."

"… a baby" Kelly said too, not really sure what else to say. She could see the clogs turning in the twins' heads as they worked out how they really felt about all of this.

"How do you guys feel about it?" Dylan out right asked, seeing as they weren't to keen on telling them.

"Well, ever since Maddy was born, I_ have_ wanted a sister..." Mollie reasoned out loud as she continued to process the information.

Tommy scrunched up his face, "A sister? Come on, we need more boys around here…" he wasn't too keen on being outnumbered by Maddy and Mollie right now.

"Do you know what you're having?" Mollie asked, hoping they could settle this once and for all.

Kelly shook her head, "No, we figured we'd keep it a surprise like we did with you guys."

"Well…" Mollie said as she and Tommy jumped off their stools. "Come back to us when the baby gets here, then we'll have a more accurate picture on how we feel."

"Yeah they could be a screamer… that's not so cool." Tommy agreed. "Can we watch TV?"

"Sure…" Kelly conceded as they dashed into the living room. "Passiveness… I guess that's better than anger—right?"

Dylan chuckled. He knew Mollie and Tommy would grow to be excited about the baby. It just seemed like such a far away concept right now, but he knew they would be the best big brother and sister. They were already so good to each other.

"True" he agreed. "Kel"

"Yeah?"

"… we're having a baby." He said with a smile that Kelly couldn't help but return.

"Yeah. We're having a baby." She said as he hugged her tightly. It had taken them a while to come round to the idea of the twins because they were so young and then the pregnancy was a particularly stressful one, but now they were just filled with so much joy. It was the same joy they felt when they finally met Mollie and Tommy for the first time. They were determined to enjoy this pregnancy and maintain that joy the whole way through.

* * *

_FEBRUARY 2002 _

It was a Thursday night and Kelly lay peacefully in the bathtub, drawing patterns with her finger on her almost 9-month baby belly as it protruded through the bubbles. It was hard to believe that they would be meeting their baby any day now. Kelly truly felt like she was going to explode, but everyone around her was constantly telling her how pregnancy suit her, and they were right. She wore it well and always looked happy and healthy, no matter how miserable she sometimes felt.

She soon heard footsteps come into the bedroom and then into their ensuite bathroom.

"Ok, the twins are out cold." Dylan announced as he walked in. "Took a little longer than expected but the night is officially ours—" Dylan looked up at Kelly and saw her staring down at her bump, not paying attention to a single thing he was saying. "Taylor" he said as Kelly looked up at him and gave him a tight-lipped smile. "What's on your mind?" he asked as he sat on the floor beside her, dipping his hand into the water and moving his fingers around.

"It's just strange" she said as she looked back at the bump. "I know I was big with the twins but I was never_ this_ big because I never got this far with them." She reminded him. The twins were born three months early after all. "I kind of expected this baby to be born early too and for something to go wrong…"

Dylan gently rested his hand on top of hers as it rested on her stomach. He knew how anxious she had felt about this pregnancy, especially considering how scary it had been the first-time round. She was always waiting for something to go wrong and it meant Dylan was always waiting for something to go wrong too, but he knew he also had to try and be the strong one.

"Our baby is healthy Kel… and yeah, I know this feel strange to you. It feels strange to have a normal, healthy pregnancy but the reality is—that's exactly what it is and there's no point thinking about what if. There's no point taking away from the joy of that." Dylan encouraged.

Kelly smiled, "you always know the right thing to say."

"It's right cause it's _true._ Here's something else that's true—in a few days, we are going to have a healthy and happy baby and we are going to get to take them home to this beautiful house we built together and we get another addition to this crazy, joyous family we also built together and that is something to get excited about." Dylan said as he kissed her hand. The life they had right now was what they could only think of in their dreams when they were little. They had a family that they could now call the shots with. They could now love each other and love their children like they never had been and it was truly special.

"When I was little, I used to sit in bed at night and pray." Kelly said with a little laugh. "I prayed for a family that would love me. That would protect me and cry with me. That would tease me about the stupidest things but I would know that those stupid things are what they love the most about me. I prayed for a family that would laugh with me and appreciate me and would last forever. After all that we have been through… it's remarkable that my prayer was answered."

"This was always the life you were meant to have Kelly Taylor. Believe that."

Kelly smirked, "That's Kelly _McKay_ to you…" she teased.

Dylan chuckled, "a year and a half later and I'm still not used to that…" It was remarkable to _him_ that he was finally able to call Kelly his wife and his forever love. There was a time when he really didn't think it could happen again. That he'd lost his chance. But a little faith was all he needed, because they ended up right where they were supposed to be.

Kelly shifted uncomfortably in the bath as Dylan shot up onto his knees.

"Wow, are you ok?"

"I uh—I think the baby heard us say how excited we were to meet them. My water just broke." Kelly said as Dylan's eyes widened.

"Ok, ok uh— we need your bag and uh—where are my keys?" he said as he pat his pockets.

"First, I need to get out of the bath Dylan." Kelly said with a little laugh, seeing how freaked out he was already.

"Right, yeah" he said as he careful helped her up and handed her a towel. "Ok, I'm going to call Donna and David, they can come sit with the twins. Do you want me to call Jackie?"

"_No_" Kelly said quickly. "We'll call her near the end of labour because I do not need her causing a fuss and pissing everyone off right now" Kelly said as she felt her contractions starting to hit already. "My god, these are coming at me_ fast._"

Fast was indeed the correct word to use. Kelly was only in labour for 6 hours before Samuel David McKay was welcomed into the world. His parents were completely smitten by him and his new brother and sister were too. They took one look at his cute little face and knew that he would fit right in with their crazy brood.

"Welcome to the world Sammy McKay!" Mollie announced happily to the room as she stared at her baby brother, resting peacefully in his mother's arms.


	60. Everything and More

_Hi everyone! This is the last instalment of The Pact—which is just so hard to believe! Time flies! I have had so much fun writing and sharing this with you, and I hope you've all enjoyed it to. I cannot thank you enough for all your lovely reviews and your keen engagement with this story. It's so cool having people so invested in DK. They are definitely a legendary TV couple! _

_Don't forget to leave your thoughts in the reviews as we wrap up with the final glimpse into Dylan and Kelly's future that takes us all the way up to 2019…_

_And who knows—maybe we'll see them in this imagined world again…_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter Sixty- Everything and More**

_DECEMBER 2004 _

Kelly woke up on boxing-day morning with a peaceful smile on her face. The sun was streaming in through the blinds and she just had a feeling that today was going to be a good day. They'd had a great day yesterday with their family, and extended family of course, and she was ready to relax today with her husband and her kids. She rolled over and looked at her Dylan who was lying peacefully asleep on his side. Her smile brightened at just the sight of him. She loved this man more than she ever thought was possible. She grew up never really believing in love, yet here she was, knowing she would love her husband till her dying day.

"What are you staring at creeper?" she suddenly heard Dylan mumble.

Kelly narrowed her eyes; "Your eyes are closed, how could you tell?"

"You think I need to be looking at you to know what you're doing?" he replied. They were always so in tune with one another.

"You are a man of many mysteries Dylan McKay." She said as she quickly kissed his cheek.

"You know what isn't a mystery about me?" he asked as he finally opened his eyes. "How madly and deeply in love with you I am." He said as he rolled over and hovered above her. Kelly smiled widely at him and he looked at her in awe. "You are so damn beautiful. How did I get you?" he asked, almost in disbelief.

"Well, there are rumours that you're in fact a warlock and have cast a spell over me… or that I'm really, _really_ desperate…" she teased.

"Ouch…" he said as Kelly giggled. "Do you hear that?" he asked as Kelly quirked an eyebrow.

"Hear what?"

"The silence… the kids aren't awake yet." He said with a knowing smirk.

Kelly sighed, "It's only a matter of time…" she reasoned. They rarely got a moment to themselves these days.

"Well, we better move quickly then" he said as he swooped in and kissed her passionately.

Just as Kelly was about to remove Dylan's t-shirt, as if by magic, screams started blaring through the baby monitor by their bed. Dylan groaned and rolled onto his back with a sigh.

"Ah Josie…" he grumbled. As much as Dylan and Kelly adored their now 5-month-old baby girl, she was a screamer and had the_ worst_ timing. "It's like she sensed my desperation and thought it would be fun to make it worse." He said as he held the bridge of his nose. "Did you really expect our lives to be filled with this much crazy?"

"Definitely not… but I wouldn't have it any other way" she said as Dylan quickly kissed her before climbing out of bed to get Josie. Before he even made it to the door, it creaked open and Sam appeared on the other side, his blonde curls in tangles following his sleep.

"Momma, JoJo is screaming again…" he said with a sigh. At almost 3 years old, Sammy McKay couldn't be any more different from his brother and sisters. He was quiet and reserved and never caused much of a fuss. He certainly took after Dylan in being a brooder and the two of them would often just sit in the living room reading together. Sam had read his books so many times that he'd memorized them all too and often just recited them back to Dylan.

"Come here baby" Kelly said as Dylan left the room to get Josie. Sam ran over to Kelly and she lifted him onto the bed before trying to tame his curls a little bit with her fingers.

Just as Sam got comfortable under the duvet, 10-year-olds Mollie and Tommy came bursting into the room.

"_MOM._ This is getting _ridiculous_! It's 7am on boxing day." Tommy whined.

"This is a day of rest and recovery." Mollie added dramatically. They really had not anticipated being woken up so early.

Dylan walked back into the room with a now perfectly content Josie. It appeared all she wanted was a little bit of attention.

"Isn't it funny Josie that your big brother and sister are acting like they weren't screamers as babies themselves?!" Dylan cooed down to Josie as Mollie and Tommy rolled their eyes.

"That's different, we didn't have any siblings who needed their _rest_." Mollie reasoned.

Tommy scrunched up his nose, "Yeah Mollie really needs her beauty sleep…"

"Shut up…" Mollie said as she swatted his arm. "But back to the original point… the screaming has _got _to stop."

"Ah, Josie's just not a morning person. _Classic_ McKay trait." Dylan said as he sat down with Josie on the bed.

"Is she an any time of day person? She's _always_ crying…" Sam added.

Tommy eyes widened, "If Sammy is agreeing with us you _know_ it is bad." Normally, the little boy tended to mind his own business, but even this had gone too far for him.

Mollie and Tommy then took their turn to collapse onto their parents' bed and curl up into a ball. Kelly frowned when she noticed just how exhausted the twins were.

"How come you two are so tired?" she asked.

"Adults get wine hangovers; we get _sugar_ hangovers." Mollie told them as Dylan let out a laugh.

"Yeah, it's definitely sugar. Erin had a secret stash in her room and she was feeling generous yesterday…" Tommy blurted out before his eyes widened, realising he'd just revealed his aunt's secret. "Don't tell grammy though…" he quickly added.

"This isn't anything some pancakes can't fix" Kelly said as she hopped out of bed and left the room, the other 5 members of her family quickly following her at the promise of pancakes.

They made their way into the kitchen and Dylan set Josie down on her playmat, while Mollie, Tommy and Sam sat up at the kitchen island, waiting for their parents to make their famous pancakes. They'd perfected the recipe over the years, and it was one of their favourite things to eat.

"I love boxing day" Mollie said happily. Her grumpy mood changing already at the prospect of her breakfast.

"How come?" Kelly asked.

"It's just so _calm_. Sitting by the fire, drinking hot coco, eating pancakes. What more could you want?" Mollie said sweetly.

"A house in the Bahamas?" Tommy suggested.

"You have plenty of friends who could take you to their house in the Bahamas Tommy." Dylan said with a smirk. Dylan and Kelly knew that they were probably a lot better off than many of Tommy and Mollie's friends, but they'd made a deliberate point of not spoiling their kids or making them aware of the inheritance that awaited them. They wanted them to be normal, down to Earth kids—if that was at all possible while growing up in Beverly Hills.

"Yeah, we'll stick to our beach house in LA." Kelly added. They had purchased the modest house about a year ago. Dylan used it when he went surfing and it was easier when they wanted to spend their day at the beach during the summer and Kelly wasn't too keen on the idea of her nice, clean every day house being covered in sand. It was like a little sanctuary for them at one of their favourite places on Earth. "So, now that Christmas is over… New Year is upon us." Kelly reminded them. "Any resolutions?"

Sam thought carefully for a moment, "I'm going to learn how to ride a bike." He said with great determination in his voice. He'd been trying for the past few weeks but hadn't quite mastered it yet.

"That's a good resolution buddy and definitely achievable." Dylan said as he ruffled his curls before turning back to mixing the pancake batter.

Tommy sat up straighter, "To work incredibly hard…" he began as Kelly and Dylan smiled proudly. "… at finishing top of the prank league table." He finished causing Kelly to roll her eyes and Dylan to chuckle. Tommy and his friends had always been troublemakers and when they were 8-years-old, they created a prank league. Whoever pulled off the most impressive pranks got points and whoever finished top of the league was honoured with the title 'King of the Pranks.'

"What do you even get from this league Tommy?" Mollie asked. She liked a good prank herself—but not when they were at _her _expense. She found herself a target of Tommy's tricks a little too often, but she was also excellent at getting her own back in her own good time.

"Honour. Eternal glory. Pride in your achievements. What more could you want?" Tommy reasoned.

"Keep dreaming Tommy, you're never going to beat Ollie." Mollie told him. Tommy's best friend Oliver took the league to a whole new level. Whatever Tommy did, Oliver always managed to one up him.

"I may be in 2nd place, but not this time. I've been planning. Come New Year's Day, I'm going to steam so far ahead that the rest of them won't be able to crawl back." Tommy said with great confidence.

Kelly, Dylan, Mollie and Sam all looked at each other before bursting out laughing.

Tommy glared at them, "You all suck…" he said as he got off his chair and lay down on his stomach beside Josie. "You would never be so mean so me, would you Josie?" he asked as she started playfully swatting his head with her hands. "Dang, that's a mean hit you got there…" he joked.

"What about you Mols? Any resolutions?" Dylan asked as he started to cook the pancakes.

"Hm… I'm going to learn how to make the perfect McKay pancake." Mollie told them.

"That's it?" Tommy asked.

"Yep!"

"That's pathetic Mollie…"

"_Tommy_." Kelly warned, knowing that this could explode into world war three. The twins were always good at getting mad at each other over nothing.

Mollie scoffed, "Says the guy who made a league out of making people miserable."

"It's not misery Mollie, it's teaching people to loosen up a little, I'm really providing a service." Tommy reasoned.

Mollie rolled her eyes, "yeah, because water ballooning Grammy was a _genius_ idea, she took that _really _well…" she recalled, remembering the look on Jackie's face all too well when the balloon exploded over her head after Tommy threw it out the window.

"How many times do I have to say I was not aiming for Grammy, I was aiming for David!" Tommy told them. It was the truth—not that he still didn't get in a hell of a lot of trouble for it. "But seriously Mollie—pancakes? It's not very impressive."

"They're special Tommy!" Sam piped in.

"What is so special about them? We eat them all the time."

"Maybe that's what makes them so special." Kelly suggested as Dylan served up the first batch and Mollie and Sam dived in. Kelly moved around the counter and wrapped her arms around Tommy before he could make it to the counter. "Things change all the time in our lives, but one thing that always remains is these pancakes… it's not a bad thing to hold on to, as simple as it is."

"I never really thought about them that way… I just like the taste." Tommy said with a quiet shrug.

"They're a McKay family tradition that I'm sure you will pass on to your families when you're older." Dylan added as he cut Sam's up for him. "So I think that's a perfect idea for a resolution Mollie. Though, don't ask your mom to teach you, she doesn't make them as good as I do…" he teased.

"Hey!" Kelly protested as she walked over to Dylan who swiftly wrapped his arms around her and kissed her temple.

Mollie giggled, "It's true mom, dad's are the best in the world."

"One day I will make them just as good as dad's—mark my words." She said, creating her own unexpected resolution after all.

It didn't take long for Mollie to make the perfect batch of pancakes and come New Year's Eve 2005, Tommy was determined King of the Pranks—and continued to hold the title until the end of high school.

* * *

_AUGUST 2008_

It was the Sunday afternoon before school started up for the year and the 6 McKays stood outside of West Beverly High School staring at the building.

"Remind me why we're here again?" Mollie asked as they all looked at their parents a little confused. After breakfast, Kelly and Dylan had ushered their kids out the door before turning up here in the school's quiet parking lot.

Kelly moved to stand in front of her kids and Dylan, "I wanted us to appreciate old West Bev together. Mollie, Tommy—you are beginning your high school journeys here tomorrow and I know you won't let dad or I within 5 feet of this school tomorrow because that is apparently really lame, so we wanted to at least experience being here with you, just for a moment."

Kelly was feeling extremely sentimental at the thought of sending her babies to high school. It didn't feel that long ago that she was starting here and now Mollie and Tommy were getting ready to enter its hallowed halls.

"Mom—it's just school." Tommy reasoned. It really wasn't that exciting to them, so there was no need that Kelly make a fuss out of it.

Kelly frowned, "It is more than just school Tommy." She said as she turned back around and looked at the building. "This place has the potential to shape and refine you into the people you're going to be for the rest of your life."

"Or it could destroy you." Sam bleakly added.

"_Sam!"_ Kelly scolded.

"I'm just saying, high school can be judgy…" he said as he held in hands up in defence. He'd seen the teen movies, he knew what was up.

Kelly desperately looked at Dylan for some back up. He didn't exactly look back on high school with the fondest of memories, but he knew how Kelly felt about it. He knew that she wanted her kids to experience all the best parts of their time in West Bev and she believed that started with an open mind, so he was ready to support her.

"Guys…" Dylan began as he turned and stood beside Kelly. "Yes, high school can be damaging but it can also be really fulfilling." He said as he put his arm around Kelly's shoulders. "We have some really great memories of this place." After all, this place played a huge part in their love story. Mollie and Tommy had heard a few stories over the years, so they understood why their parents would feel a little nostalgic for the place, but they also understood why they were eager to leave it at the end.

"These next four years could make or break us." Mollie grumbled as she folded her arms over her body.

"Look" Josie said decisively as she stomped in front of her brothers and sisters. "You need to stop being so negative! If mommy and daddy say you're going to have a good time then you're _going_ to have a good time because they are always right! Right?" she said as she turned her head to look at her parents, her fair-haired pig tails bouncing with her.

Kelly and Dylan looked as Josie with wide eyes, "_Right…"_ they confirmed. At four years old, Josie had always been a fiery little girl and just like Mollie, she kept her parents on their toes.

Josie turned to look back at her siblings, "Do you two understand?"

"Yes ma'am…" Tommy mocked.

Josie smiled proudly, "Good. Look!" she suddenly said excitedly. "You can see the Hollywood sign from here!" she shouted as she ran to the pitch to look at the sign.

Mollie, Tommy and Sam quickly followed her to make sure she didn't wander off too far. Plus, the view sounded pretty cool.

Kelly looked up at Dylan with a little smile on her face, "Did you ever think that the innocent little kiss you gave me in your tree house when we were ten would turn into this?"

"To what?" Dylan asked as he looked down at her.

"Four kids, our dream house, the dog and the white picket fence."

Dylan nodded his head, "Bruno is definitely the best part of the deal…" he teased as Kelly swatted his stomach.

"Hey…"

Dylan sighed as he looked over at Mollie and Tommy in particular, "They just don't seem old enough. I think I need to start getting used to the fact that my Mollie Moo and Tommy are not the 4 year old kids who used to run around calling me daddy and laughing at everything I said."

Dylan and Kelly were incredibly proud of the teens Tommy and Mollie were becoming, but they couldn't deny they missed their cheeky little baby grins. They were struggling with how independent they were becoming, but they also knew that the best thing they could do for their children as parents was to make them independent in every sense of the word. They would always be there no matter what, but they also would equip them with the tools they needed to live on their own and thrive.

"Mollie still calls you daddy…" Kelly reasoned.

"Only cause she usually wants something…" Dylan added. He wasn't entirely wrong. Mollie pulled the sweet card well and Dylan always struggled to say no to her. He always struggled to say no to either of his girls.

"And you_ happily_ give in" Kelly said with a little laugh. "And Josie still laughs at everything you say."

"Give it a few years…" Dylan said as Kelly rested her head on his shoulder.

"High school was pretty damn hard, huh?" she said quietly. As much as she wanted to spout all this positivity, high school wasn't exactly the easiest time in her life. She had a damaged reputation, damaged relationships and shed a whole load of tears.

"Yeah, it was." Dylan agreed. "But it was also one of the most fulfilling times in our lives. We finally got our act together and started something really special. We started something that stemmed into this. So we have to look back on high school with positivity."

Kelly smiled, "Agreed."

* * *

_AUGUST 2011_

"Tommy would you slow down! Geez…" Mollie said as she stumbled over the rocks at Paradise Cove.

"Mollie, you're a cheerleader, you're supposed to be nimble and flexible" Tommy said as he dashed on ahead.

Mollie rolled her eyes, "That doesn't take away from the fact that these rocks are slippy!" she reasoned as she finally made the last jump onto the secluded area. "What are we doing here anyway?" she asked as she followed Tommy towards the water.

"I know we were here last weekend with the others, but I figured we could use a trip of our own." Tommy said as they looked out over the ocean. "We're starting senior year tomorrow Mollie… how crazy is that?" He asked with a little laugh.

"It's pretty insane… how the heck have we survived the last three years?" Mollie asked. It had been relatively smooth sailing for the McKay twins. They thrived in academics, Mollie was a cheerleader, Tommy played football, they both surfed all the time, they had great friends, a family who loved them. There was also Mollie's boyfriend Johnny Adams and Tommy's girlfriend Caroline Casey who made them feel a little giddy inside.

"We've really lucked out in a lot of departments, huh?" Mollie asked. Beverly Hills had been a complete_ dream_ to grow up in. The Beverly Hills that Dylan and Kelly grew up in was not the same Beverly Hills that Mollie and Tommy experienced. Sure, they had an abundance of high school pressures, but they also had a lot of safety and security and love in their lives. For starters, Mollie was struck with how many of her classmates were sneaking into bars and clubs around LA and often getting themselves into difficult situations, so she turned to Dylan and suggested that he turned Friday night at the After Dark into a teens night, where they could all go to dance and have fun, but do so responsibly, without the troubles that alcohol and drugs brought. Dylan loved the idea and it had worked out well. Mollie and Tommy even managed to put a band together that performed there every Friday night. They had created an environment that Dylan and Kelly wished they had had when they were teenagers.

"Do you remember the pact mom and dad told us they made here, just before they started high school?" Tommy asked his sister.

Mollie nodded her head, "Yeah, I remember."

"I kind of wished that I'd made something similar back then… and then I realised that it wasn't necessarily too late to make a senior year pact with my partner in crime" he said with a smirk that was almost identical to Dylan's.

Mollie quirked an eyebrow, "Keep talking McKay…"

Tommy turned to look at his twin, "Senior year is going to be a little bit insane. It has the potential to be a lot of fun, but it's also going to be hard and it's going to be demanding. We need to have each other's backs."

Mollie nodded her head. "Agreed." They'd always had each other's backs anyway, but there was something symbolic about making an official pact here, just like Dylan and Kelly had done. "So let's promise to always be in each other's corners. Let's never deal with anything by ourselves. No matter what we are going through, no matter how dumb or stupid we are being—let's always fight for one another." She suggested, practically reciting Dylan and Kelly's pact word for word.

"You got yourself a deal." He said as he nudged her slightly. Mollie and Tommy weren't quite sure what they would do without each other. They were the best of friends and sure—they often fought like cats and dogs over the stupidest of things, but that didn't change how in sync they were with each other and how they always fought each other's battles.

Mollie let out a deep breath as they looked around them at one of their favourite places on Earth.

"The real world is coming at us _fast_ Tom… it really doesn't seem that long ago that we were standing in front of West Bev, _dreading_ starting high school." Mollie reminisced. At the time, she thought her mom was being ridiculous wanting to take them there the day before they started, but hindsight was a beautiful thing. She was now so thankful that Kelly took them time to make them realise that they had the opportunity to do something good here and they would be ok no matter what.

"I know… but we're going to be just fine. _Always_." He said as he held up his pinky finger and Mollie secured hers around his, as a way of sealing their pact.

* * *

_MAY 2012_

Prom was quickly approaching the teenagers at West Bev and the senior class decided that there was no better way to get them into the spirit than looking at proms from the past. They figured at the very least, they could have a giggle at the dreading fashion choices that were made. They decided that the best place to start was in old year books, and that took them down another rabbit hole of senior poll results and all the photographs that came with them.

"Hey Mollie, Tommy, check this out" Mollie's best friend Sophie said as she handed them the 1993 yearbook. "It's your parents" she said as they looked down at the page.

"Class of '93's most beautiful…" Tommy read out before looking at the photo of Kelly and Dylan with their heads gently nestled against each other's and the cutest smiles on their faces.

"Oh my gosh, look at them!" Mollie said sweetly. "They are the _cutest_." Dylan and Kelly had plenty of pictures from when they were teenagers lying around the house, but they had never seen this one.

"They kept this one quiet" Tommy said with a little laugh, wondering how they had never heard of Dylan and Kelly's 'award.'

Mollie scoffed, "Something tells me they would prefer to be remembered as something a little more than best looking in a senior poll." Little did Mollie know, those were Dylan's exact words all those years ago.

Mollie's boyfriend Johnny looked over the twins' shoulders at the photograph, "Yeah, if they eliminated the category, the world would be a better place for it."

Sophie scoffed, "Says the guys who's going to _win_." Johnny Adams certainly had a bit of a reputation in West Bev. He was a nice boy, but before he started dating Mollie, he'd had his fair share of girlfriends. He was a real girl magnet, and anybody would have_ killed _to date him. Considering how stunning Mollie was, with her beach blonde waves and striking blue eyes, it made perfect sense that they became a couple— on paper anyway. Johnny certainly didn't repel the attention he got from other girls and Mollie figured it was only a matter of time before that caught up to them.

"What about Dylan and Kelly 2.0 over here?" he said as he motioned to the twins. They really were the perfect mix of their parents and Kelly and Dylan always joked that they somehow managed to take all of their best qualities and leave the toxic traits behind.

"Nah, Tommy's going to win biggest _loner_." Oliver lamely joked.

Tommy smirked, "Thanks Ollie…" as annoying as Oliver could be, Tommy wouldn't want anybody else to be his best friend. They had been as thick as thieves since they were little kids and Tommy knew that would never change.

"While I all have you here, my place after prom, party of the year will be happening, don't tell your parents." Oliver proudly told them. There had been a little bit of prom backlash from the school in an attempt to control rowdy behaviour. They'd banned all non-school sanctioned after prom parties, but that wasn't going to stop Oliver from planning something that would be no doubt ridiculous.

Mollie scrunched up her face, "I don't know Ollie, aren't you worried about getting caught?"

"_Hell _no Mollie, the only thing I'm worried about is having a good time and that is the only thing you need to be worried about too." Oliver insisted.

"That's all good and well Ollie, but you're not on honour roll like Mollie and Tommy are." Sophie reminded them. The twins were sitting at the top of their class, they really couldn't afford to get into any trouble before the end of the year that could potential damage their chances of getting into college.

"I promise to hide you if things take a dramatic turn but _come on_ guys—it's senior year. It's the _end _of senior year. All the hard work that you've been doing over the past four years _has_ to pay off somewhere." Oliver insisted as Mollie and Tommy looked at each other, knowing that he did have a point.

* * *

That afternoon, Tommy sat on the couch in the McKay living room with Josie, scrolling through tuxes online. He'd found a nice and classy one, but he decided to click on top hats to see how Josie would react. At 7 years old, she considered herself a bit of a fashionista, though most of her wardrobe was full of various shades of pink.

"Pretty classy, huh?" he asked his sister who immediately screwed up her face.

"_No Tom-Tom,_ I'm telling you, girls aren't into all that flashy stuff, they want simple and classy—like James Bond." Josie insisted.

Tommy quirked an eyebrow, "Would James Bond use a cane?"

Josie sighed, "_No._ No he would not."

Tommy chuckled lightly just as Mollie and Sam came into the room and sat on the sofa.

"Hey sibs!" Mollie greeted happily as she looked to see what Tommy was doing. "Oh god, Tommy, no, you are _not_ wearing a hat."

Josie held up a hand, "I've already told him Mollie, don't worry."

Kelly soon walked through the front door and into the living room, smiling immediately at her kids all sitting together. "Aw, all my babies together!" she said happily as she walked behind the sofa and kissed them all. She had gotten sentimental over the past few weeks, especially in the run up to prom and Mollie and Tommy's high school graduation. She couldn't quite believe that her babies were heading off to college. "Oh, Tommy. You're not serious about that hat, are you?"

Tommy sighed, "No. No I am not…"

"Hey mom" Mollie said as she jumped off the sofa and lifted the 1993 yearbook off the coffee table. "Look what we came across today" she said as she handed Kelly the book and showed her the page.

"Oh my gosh…" Kelly said with a gasp and a little laugh. "I remember this day like it was yesterday." It had been a pretty important moment in their relationship, so naturally it was something that stuck to Kelly's memory. Of all the fights they'd had over the years, this was one of the most monumental. It was up there with the 2am drunken fight after Dylan found out about Kelly and Brandon and also the fight following Kelly and Matt's sex tape debacle.

"But it was so long ago…" Josie said as she looked at the date on the front of the book.

"Thank you, Josie for that friendly reminder on how old I am…" Kelly said as she playfully glared at her daughter and Josie giggled.

"Your dad and I got in a _huge_ fight right before we were supposed to take this picture." Kelly told them. She stared at the photo further and couldn't quite believe how young they looked. It was also hard to believe that only a year after this photo was taken, they became parents.

"What were you fighting about?" Tommy asked as he set his computer down.

"Insecurities were getting the better of us and in hindsight it was the stupidest fight in the world… but it was also the night your dad said we were soulmates." Kelly said with a little smile. She'd made her peace with this whole soulmates thing over the years.

Mollie smiled softly, "and look at you now."

Sam looked onto the coffee table and saw that Mollie had some of the year books open on prom pictures. He turned to his mother, "Where's your prom picture mom?"

Kelly grimaced, "Oh you don't want to see that…" she said as she awkwardly scratched the back of her head.

Kelly's reaction had all of their interests peaked. "Oh come on, it's probably super cute" Mollie said with a hopeful smile.

Kelly shook her head, "You won't think it's cute…"

"Why not? It's of my mommy and my daddy, what could be cuter than that?" Mollie asked sweetly.

Kelly sighed, "… ok… but I did warn you." She said before walking towards the cabinet against the wall. She dug through some boxes for a moment before lifting out a photo frame. She held it to her chest for a moment before turning it around and watching as her kids screwed up their faces.

"Oh dear _God_…" Tommy grumbled.

"I warned you!" Kelly reminded them as she looked down at the picture. She could hear the photographer in her ear even to this day.

"_Do you think you two can unlock your lips long enough to get this picture taken?"_

He'd asked, but they didn't care. They were too caught up in the moment. They couldn't keep their hands off each other, so that was their prom picture. Them kissing. They weren't going to buy it, but Dylan thought it was too funny not to.

"You two seriously couldn't keep your hands off each other for 10 seconds to take a photo?" Mollie asked as she put her hands on her hips while Sam sunk into the sofa and covered his view of the photo and Josie laughed.

Kelly smirked, "Well, what can I say?" she teased just as Dylan walked into the room.

"McKays. What's happening?" he greeted as he quickly kissed Kelly's cheek.

Mollie folded her arms over her chest, "You're a _dog."_

Dylan frowned, "What did I do?"

Kelly handed him the photo and he immediately smirked, "Yeah, that was a good night…" he said as he kissed Kelly and Mollie, Tommy, Sam and Josie all erupted into various choruses of 'ew' and 'gross' and 'there are children present, control yourselves.'

"Wouldn't you rather see this than seeing us at each other's throats?" Kelly asked with raised eyebrows. They really should be counting their blessings.

"_Believe_ us, we know how in love you are, but we don't need you to make suggestive comments about your prom night…" Tommy grumbled.

"Suggestive comments like what?" Josie asked innocently as everyone remained silent for a moment, wondering how they would approach this question.

"Just gross stuff like kissing..." Tommy simplified as Josie nodded knowingly. It_ was_ a super gross thing after all.

"Two things—" Dylan began as he looked back down at the photo. "Why are you digging this old thing out and why isn't it up on the wall already?" he joked.

Sam rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I can't think why anyone wouldn't want to come into your home and see that…"

"We were just taking a trip down memory lane" Kelly explained. "Mollie saw our yearbook today and discovered we were West Bev's best looking duo."

Dylan scoffed, "A true honour."

"I'm sure…" Mollie mocked. "We were just getting ready for prom today in school and we were wondering about years gone past." She explained further as Dylan nodded his head.

"Speaking of prom…" Kelly started as Mollie and Tommy's hearts sank, wondering where this could possibly be going. "As you already know, your father and I have agreed to chaperone the evening."

"Thanks for that little reminder…" Tommy said with a grimace. He couldn't really imagine anything worse than having his parents watching him at prom.

"As chaperones we are also aware of the no after-party that isn't sanctioned by the school rule, so we were wondering what your plans were." Dylan asked. He really didn't mind if his kids went to an after-party, just as long as they didn't get caught. It seemed stupid to expect that there wouldn't be one, so he just wanted them to be sensible at it.

"We're going to Ollie's" Mollie explained flippantly.

"I don't think so…" Kelly said with a little laugh. She was a little more on edge at the thought of the twins being at one of these parties. She didn't want them to get into trouble—just like Donna had done at their prom—and she also knew how destructive Beverly Hills parties could be.

"Kel, come on…" Dylan said quietly. He wanted them to have some fun at prom and he knew they could be trusted.

Kelly quickly covered Josie's ears, "Dylan, you know what these parties are like, we spent out teenage years at Beverly Hills parties and they are hot beds of drugs, sex and booze."

Tommy smirked, "How is it fair that _you_ got to go to these hot beds and _we _don't? We should definitely be allowed to at least _dabble_…" he teased.

Kelly's eyes widened, "Not a chance, we are trying to avoid scaring you with the same traumas of our past."

"Mom" Mollie said as she rested her hands on Kelly's arms, "We will be on our best behaviour. _Promise_."

"We take full responsibility of our actions and we also know what it is like to be on the wrong side of Kelly Taylor and that is something we will desperately be trying to avoid, so again—we'll be on our best behaviour." Tommy reiterated.

Kelly merely nodded her head and gave them a tight-lipped smiled, realising that she had to let it be.

* * *

The following Friday night, prom had arrived, and West Bev had an amazing buzz about it. Kelly snapped countless photographs of Mollie and Johnny and Tommy and Caroline and the four teens had to run out of the door before Kelly could whisk them away for more. She wanted to capture every second of this and she knew the twins would be thankful one day for all the photos.

Kelly was also touched by the nostalgia she was feeling about being at prom almost 20 years after her own. Despite Donna's disaster, it had been a fun night and the weekend she and Dylan spent in San Francisco made it one of the best weekends in their high school careers. Kelly also loved being here tonight with Dylan. It was the most wonderful thing in the world to be able to take a trip down memory lane with him by her side. They didn't do much chaperoning that evening. They danced together and they laughed together as if no one else was around.

Mollie watched them closely during one of the songs as Dylan whispered something in Kelly's ear and they laughed. It was something so simple, but it was also so very sweet. Johnny came up behind Mollie to see what she was looking at.

"I want that" Mollie mumbled.

"Want what?" he asked as he followed her eyeline to her parents.

"That kind of love. I have never seen anybody love like my mom and dad love each other. It's so passionate and consuming and beautiful. Their breath catches in their throats when the other walks into the room. They can't sleep when the other isn't beside them, they kiss like it's the only thing keeping them alive. They've known each other since they were 5 years old and their love has never died. It's survived death and illness and addiction and other people… yet they could never erase each other. _I want that_. I want mad and passionate and _extraordinary_ love." Mollie said with a wide smile and a little laugh at the end before turning to Johnny. He was staring at her as if to say he didn't understand a word she was saying. As if it was completely _meaningless_ to him. As if_ love_ was completely meaningless. Mollie felt her heart sink in her chest a little bit with just one look at his face. In that moment, she knew that that wasn't the kind of love they shared.

"There are too many mediocre things in life Johnny" Mollie said quietly. "Love shouldn't be one of them." She finished before slipped away from him and over to the food stand.

* * *

The following morning, Mollie sat on the steps attached to the porch of the McKay house. She'd arrived home only 20 minutes ago, but couldn't will herself to go in. She just couldn't face the questions she knew her parents would throw her way, especially considering prom had been a night of little sleep and disappointing revelations.

"Nice to see you're still alive" she heard a voice say as she looked up and saw Tommy in front of her, looking a little dishevelled with his bow tie hanging loose, shirt untucked and hair sticking up.

"Were you worried about me Tom?" she teased as he sat down beside her.

"Well you bailed the party pretty early on so yeah, I was a little worried." He said. Mollie just wasn't in much of a mood to party and Sophie was having a pretty terrible night too, so they went home and had a girl's night, laughing and talking about anything and everything. She was incredibly thankful to have a friend like that in her life. "You not going inside?" Tommy asked.

Mollie sighed, "I'm not sure I'm ready for mom's questions."

Tommy chuckled, "Tell me about it… do we need to have a debrief?" he asked, seeing that something was clearly bothering her.

"… prom _blowed."_ She concluded. "I was having a nice enough time and then I looked over at mom and dad and they were just being all giggly and cute and in love and it was just the sweetest thing… but it hit me—I don't have that. I want it, but I don't have it and that really _sucks."_ She said as she looked at Tommy with tears in her eyes.

"Not every love is going to be as epic as what mom and dad have Mollie, but it doesn't mean that it's worthless." Tommy reasoned.

Mollie was about to reply when the front door opened, and Dylan appeared.

"Ah, the stragglers return!" Dylan announced as he whipped out his camera and started snapping photos of them in their messy state.

Mollie glared, "Dad, come on…" she moaned as they both stood up.

"Now _this_ is the prom picture you're going to want to get framed." Dylan joked.

Mollie crossed her arms, "Well I didn't get an official one…"

Dylan frowned, "What happened?"

"Nothing—" she grumbled as Kelly came out.

"Oh my babies, you're here and in one piece!" she said happily as she kissed them both. "Did you have a fabulous night, tell me all about it!"

"I'd rather not." Mollie replied as Tommy shifted awkwardly.

"This really isn't like you Mollie, being so passive aggressive, you're normally just straight up aggressive with your thoughts." Dylan taunted.

"You want to know what's bothering me? My boyfriend isn't in love with me, and I am not in love with him and it really blows because how can you even _find_ a real kind of love?!" she exploded as Dylan and Kelly looked at her with wide eyes. "I—" she began again, but couldn't finish her thought before she stormed into the house and up to her room.

"… what just happened?" Kelly asked, looking to Tommy for answers. Tommy merely shrugged, not really knowing how to explain this one, mainly because he didn't really have all the answers. Mollie hadn't been particularly clear. "Ok" Kelly said as she turned around "I'll go weather the storm…" she said as she went back inside.

Dylan turned to Tommy, "As a dad, is this whole thing going to make me angry?"

"As a dad—potentially, as a normal, reasonable human, you'll probably be sympathetic to their plight." Tommy said as Dylan nodded his head.

Kelly stood in the doorway to Mollie's room and watched as she took her jewellery off and brushed out her hair. She hated seeing her daughter so sad over a boy.

"Mollie" Kelly said quietly as she walked into the room.

Mollie sighed, "I don't want to talk about it mom."

"I think you need to." Kelly insisted as she sat on the end of her bed. "What happened?"

Mollie turned in her chair to look at Kelly, "I was watching you and dad last night and then I was thinking about what you'd said the other day about being soulmates and being stupidly in love and it hit me—I didn't have that with Johnny. I wanted it, but I didn't have it and when I described to him the kind of love I wanted, he just stared straight through me as if what I was saying was _meaningless_." She explained as a tear escaped from her eye. "I guess we just have two pretty different views on love… do you think it's unrealistic to want what you two have?"

Kelly pondered for a moment before coming up with her answer, "I think it's rare and I don't think it's an easy thing. Your dad and I have been through so much in life and the love that we have for each other didn't just come overnight… but it's still possible with the right person."

Mollie nodded her head and looked at her feet, trying her best not to cry. For the first time, she was experiencing having her heart broken, even if it was something mutual, it still hurt a lot.

"Oh baby, come here" Kelly said as Mollie moved to sit beside her mom, resting her head on her shoulder as Kelly wrapped her arms around her. "If you and Johnny aren't meant to be then that is ok, and_ you_ will be ok. I truly believe that every single person who comes into your life is meant to be there for a reason. Whether they stay forever or leave after a day, we can learn a lot and that's how you have to look at this. Maybe Johnny could be your soulmate after all—but maybe he's also just your first love and that's an incredibly special thing too. There could be someone else out there for you who you'll be able to turn to no matter what, who is always going to be in your corner, who will love you with everything in them. It's a good thing to believe in an extraordinary kind of love Mollie—because it _is_ real and it is _magical_." She told her with a little smile. Her own heart was breaking for her daughter, but she was also so proud of the heart Mollie had. She knew what kind of love she deserved and she wasn't prepared to settle for anything less.

"I love you mom"

"I love you too" she replied quietly as she held her daughter for a little bit longer.

* * *

That evening, Dylan and Kelly were walking up the stairs to go to bed. The house had been strangely quiet all day, yet they were pretty exhausted.

"Are you sure Mollie's ok?" Dylan asked as they reached the landing. He had been worried about her all day, but he also didn't want to bother her and upset her further.

"She will be" Kelly insisted as they walked to the end of the hallway to check in on her. When they pushed open the door, their hearts melted at the sight. Mollie, Tommy, Sam and Josie had all fallen asleep on Mollie's bed, huddled together.

"Oh my god" Kelly said with a gasp as her hand rested over her heart. "Why can't they be this sweet to each other all the time?" she joked. She knew her kids got on exceptionally well, but they were also quick to jump down each other's throats. Seeing them like this was pretty special.

"It's kind of reassuring." Dylan said with a small smile.

"What do you mean?"

"Knowing that they'll always be there for each other even when we're not."

Kelly returned his smile, "Yeah… they're pretty damn special." She said, almost choking on her words in a moment of pure pride.

* * *

_AUGUST 2019_

"Can I have a marshmallow please?" a 15-year-old Josie asked Dylan as they sat around the fire at Paradise Cove.

"Sure can baby" Dylan said as he handed her the bag and she said thank you. It was the weekend before school started back for Sam and Josie, so keeping with tradition, the McKay family had made their way to Paradise Cove to sleep under the stars. Dylan and Kelly couldn't quite believe that they were about to see their final baby off to high school. Where had the years gone?

"Sammy, put the book down, it's family time!" Josie begged as she moved to snatch the book out of her brother's hands, but he swiftly moved away, causing her to fall face first in the sand. "Sammy!" she complained.

"Hey, that is not my fault, you launched at me." He justified as she shoved him over.

"Wow, wow, wow, Paradise Cove is a no violence zone…" they heard a voice behind them say as they turned around and saw Tommy walking towards them.

"Tommy!" Josie greeted happily as she jumped to her feet and threw her arms around her big brother. "Marshmallow?" she offered.

"Always" Tommy said with a smile. "Hi mom" he greeted as he quickly kissed Kelly's cheek and clapped hands with his dad. "Sammy" he greeted as he wrestled his brother over.

Sam groaned, "My_ god_, were you always this heavy?"

"Pure muscle." Tommy said as he patted his abs.

"Keep dreaming Tom…" Dylan teased as Tommy glared.

"Where's Mollie?" Tommy asked, realising that his twin sister wasn't here yet. He'd been a little late as he'd been held up at work. Normally, Tommy helped Dylan with the businesses, including the expansion of the After Dark into an official teen hang out zone that wasn't restricted to just Fridays. He knew how much good the place did him when he was in high school and he wanted other teenagers to have somewhere similar that was open all weekend, so he managed to convince Dylan to invest in it and it had proved a hit. It also allowed Dylan to take some more time to himself and work on his writing. Over the years, he'd gotten back into the swing of it, and he'd found the perfect muse in his family. He could write all about them and how they changed his world and it proved an uplifting and joyous read.

"She's on her way, she just had to wait for Zach." Kelly told them.

Josie giggled, "Oo, the boyfriend."

Sammy scoffed, "I can't believe you're letting her bring her boyfriend…"

Kelly frowned, "I thought you liked Zach?"

"I do like Zach, but this has always been a McKay thing." Sammy reasoned.

"Well, I think that she has truly found the Dylan to her Kelly in Zach, so he is _more_ than welcome." Kelly reasoned. It made her heart soar seeing just how in love her daughter was with her boyfriend. It looked so familiar, yet so unique in their own personal way and it was exciting to see.

"Hey guys!" they finally heard as Mollie and Zach came stumbling over the rocks.

They all cheerily greeted their sister as she crashed down on the sand beside them. After leaving high school, Mollie had decided to use her brains for good and after studying pre-med at college, she was half-way through her medical degree at UCLA with the hopes of becoming a surgeon. She adored what she did was optimistic about the lives she could change through her job.

"What did we miss?" Zach asked as Tommy passed him the marshmallows to roast.

"We were just talking about how it was a miracle that Mollie found herself a boyfriend." Tommy teased as Mollie grimaced and shoved him.

"Ok then Tommy, how is your girl of the month? Has she kicked you in the balls yet for being an absolute _asshole_?" Mollie responded. While Mollie had found her guy, Tommy hadn't been so lucky in love. He always struggled to get it right and mirrored some of his parents' self-destructive tendencies, but he was optimistic that when he found the right person, everything would fall into place. For now, he was perfectly content running the After Dark 2 and making a difference in those teenager's lives wherever possible.

"_Be nice_…" Kelly warned as Mollie and Tommy quietened down. Even at 25 years old, they cowared under the glare of their mother.

"Zach, did you bring a football?" Josie asked as she saw the ball poking out of his bag.

"Sure did, want to play?" he asked as he stood up and retrieved the ball.

"Yeah!" she said happily as she jumped to her feet. Josie always had been a bundle of energy.

Tommy, Sam and Mollie soon jumped up and joined them, leaving Kelly and Dylan cuddling by the fire.

"When did they all get so_ old_?" Kelly asked as Dylan wrapped a blanket around their shoulders.

"Right around the time _we_ got old…" he said as Kelly moaned slightly. It felt like only yesterday they were sitting here the weekend before starting high school. Now their kids were grown and time was slipping by them. "But—here's something to make you feel young again." He said as he reached into his pocket and lifted out a litter.

Kelly gasped. It had been a while since she'd received one of these. "What's the special occasion?"

"I know you've been finding it a little hard seeing your babies grow up and branch out, so I just wanted to write to you and remind you about how much we all love you and how thankful we are for you. You're the best mother they could have ever asked for, and you are the best friend, lover, confidant and supporter that_ I _could ever have asked for." Dylan told her quietly as Kelly opened the letter and read through it. The ending made her heart beat that little bit faster.

_I could spend all day writing about how special you are to us all, but I know that will only make you blush and hide, so I will simply finish with this—I love you. I love you now, I will love you tomorrow, I will love you for the rest of time. No matter what life continues to throw at us, whether happy or sad, I will always be by your side, because without my other half—I quite simply am not me. _

"You are a miracle sent from above." Kelly told him quietly. If someone had have told her 40 odd years ago when she shared her cookie with Dylan in kindergarten that they would be sitting here, still so very in love, with the most wonderful family and a life to be grateful for, she would have laughed in their faces.

But if someone had have told her that when she was 14, she would have been more inclined to believe them.

After all—they did make a pact.


End file.
